MT. BRAVE MAKES ITS DEBUT

– A STUNNING MT. VEEDER WINE FROM LOKOYA’S CHRIS CARPENTER

JANUARY 2012 – NAPA VALLEY – Mt. Brave is a tribute to the pioneering spirit of those who settled the rugged terrain of Mt. Veeder during the 1800s and an homage to the Wappo Indians, “the brave ones,” who were the original inhabitants of this extraordinary place.

Extreme mountain winemaking is definitely not for the faint of heart. The Mt. Brave Vineyard, in the northern portion of the Mt. Veeder AVA, sits at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 1,800 feet. The work is hard and labor-intensive, with little mechanized modern technology used, at harvest, small lug boxes are the only means to pick the fruit. The reward, however, is top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec. The resulting wines have purity of fruit, brimming with violets, minerality, and lush tannins.

A word on tannins…

Carpenter knows his Mt. Veeder vineyard like the back of his hand. Capturing the lush fruit and minerality has to be done with a wary eye on the concentrated mountain tannins that also develop.  This tannin expression can be from the sublime to the overt.  Tannins are an important component in a wine’s structure and ageability, though too many can dry out the fruit expression. Carpenter believes that tannin management begins in the vineyard, and is carried through all the way to bottling.  Through the careful tannin management and selection in Mt. Brave, the wine evokes a lush mouth-feel while still maintaining the structure.

Wine has been crafted from Mt. Veeder soils since the early 1860s. Along with Napa winemaking pioneers such as Charles Krug and Agoston Haraszthy, Captain Stalham Wing, who arrived on Mt. Veeder in 1853, showed the first Mt. Veeder wine at the Napa County Fair in 1864. For 150 years, determined winegrowers moved forward where many thought the conditions too severe, too extreme, and too lacking in promise. The land that is now home to Mt. Brave was originally purchased in 1841, before the Gold Rush forever changed California and two decades before the Civil War.

Winemaker Chris Carpenter has long been receiving great acclaim for his extremely limited production Napa Valley wines, Lokoya and Cardinale. Anyone who “gets” Lokoya will appreciate what he, and viticulturist Mariano Navarro have accomplished with Mt. Brave. It’s Carpenter’s signature style of wine: bold yet balanced, with concentrated yet complex flavors. Though quantities of Mt. Brave will remain small (1,100 cases for the 2008), the wines are being crafted to be more accessible, approachable, and affordable. Carpenter is delighted that more people will be able to enjoy the style of wine for which he is best known. Whereas Lokoya has become synonymous with power, ageability, and finesse, Mt. Brave is the more restrained, yet accessible cousin that stands and delivers. 

Other Facts:

Appellation: 100% Mt. Veeder (formerly Chateau Potelle Vineyard), Napa Valley.

Viticulture: In-barrel malolactic fermentation using native strains. Barrel-to-tank

racking for natural clarity. Aged in French oak barrels 22 months (74% new oak).

Alcohol: 15.0.

Price: MSRP $75.00.

Availability: (nationally) on the shelves Feb 15, 2012.