Mayacamas Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Spectator Top 100 #2

This distinctive red throws a lot of wild sage, herb and sassafras notes out first, while the core of intense red currant, damson plum and bitter cherry fruit waits its turn. The vibrant structure is built on acidity, pulling everything together through the iron-streaked finish. Should age wonderfully. Best from 2022 through 2040. 1,600 cases made. -JM

2015 Vintage

Awarded: 2019

Wine Spectator Top 100 #4

Suggested Dishes to Pair With This Wine

Spare ribs in black bean sauce Starter Course: Contains: pork ribs; Chinese

Beef with vermicelli Main Course: Contains: ginger, rice vermicelli; Chinese

Lamb bhuna Main Course: Slow cooked lamb curry with reduced sauce; Contains: Indian curry; Indian

Gouda Cheese Course: Dutch

Details

Analytical Data

Alcohol ABV: 14%
Sweetness: Dry

Production Attributes

Maturation: Oaked
Oak Type: French
Closure Type: Cork
Winemaking: Our Cabernet grapes are harvested early to retain their natural acidity and structured tannins. Fermentation happens in a combination of cement vat fermenters and stainless steel tanks. After approximately two weeks on skins, we gently press and are ready for aging.

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Ageing: This Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 32 months in neutral oak–20 months in large format foudres, and 12 months in barrique. After bottling, the wine was cellared for an additional year before release.

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Awards

(2)

2016 Vintage

Awarded: 2020

Wine Spectator Top 100 #2

2015 Vintage

Awarded: 2019

Critics Scores & Reviews

(158)

All vintages

94 / 100

158 scores

95 - 100

90 - 94

85 - 89

80 - 84

75 - 79

0 - 74

97 / 100 The Wine Palate

2021 Vintage Tasted: May 2025

When to drink: 2027 to 2050

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon sports a deep garnet-purple color and expressive notes of freshly crushed black and red currants, giving way to hints of lavender, pencil shavings, and wet rocks with a waft of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with bright black and red berry layers, framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and energetic. Love it.

96 / 100 The Wine Palate

2019 Vintage Tasted: May 2025

When to drink: 2027 to 2057

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon erupts from the glass with a gorgeous perfume of blueberry compote, boysenberry preserves, and warm cassis leading to nuances of lavender, tar, tapenade, and fragrant soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with vibrant black fruit and savory nuances framed by very firm grainy tannins, finishing long with a minerally lift.

95 / 100 The Wine Palate

2018 Vintage Tasted: May 2025

When to drink: 2028 to 2050

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is medium to deep garnet in color. Scents of black cherries, juicy blackcurrants, and black raspberries spill from the glass, followed by fragrant hints of candied violets, charcoal, and bay leaves with a touch of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate has a very firm backbone of grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing long and earthy. It needs a good 4-5 more years.

95 / 100 The Wine Palate

2020 Vintage Tasted: May 2025

When to drink: 2027 to 2047

Medium garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon needs a little coaxing to bring out pretty notes of kirsch, redcurrant jelly, and juicy blackberries plus hints of rose oil, cinnamon stick, and underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate is bright and cheery, with red and black berry layers framed by a chewy texture and refreshing line, finishing long and earthy. Nice!

94 / 100 The Wine Palate

2010 Vintage Tasted: May 2025

When to drink: 2023 to 2037

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon waltzes out with ready-to-go, mature notes of unsmoked cigars, blackcurrant jelly, and dusty soil with hints of sauteed herbs, underbrush, and black truffle. The medium-bodied palate delivers a chewy texture and plenty of freshness to support the savory black fruit layers, finishing long and minerally.

93 / 100 The Wine Palate

2008 Vintage Tasted: May 2025

When to drink: 2023 to 2035

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with slowly evolving notes of tobacco leaf, spice box, and dried cherries leading to a core of warm cassis, pencil lead, and new leather with a waft of iron ore. The light to medium-bodied palate is light on its feet and refreshing, with slightly chewy tannins and loads of savory nuances to the red berry flavors, finishing with a dried herbs lift.

92 / 100 The Wine Palate

2009 Vintage Tasted: May 2025

When to drink: 2023 to 2036

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon gives up mature scents of cigar box, fallen leaves, and crushed rocks giving way to a core of prunes and fruitcake followed by a waft of new leather. The light to medium-bodied palate has soft silt-like tannins and a lively line defining the dried berries and earth flavors, finishing on a ferrous note.

2020 Vintage Tasted: Nov 2024

A creamy texture surrounds pretty floral and black fruit flavors in this elegant, poised wine. It escaped the vintage's smoke effects, and offers pure blackcurrant and black cherry flavors that expand on the palate and linger in the finish. Medium- to full-bodied. Made from 100% cabernet sauvignon. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable now but best from 2029.

2005 Vintage Tasted: Nov 2024

So complex, earthy and adventurous, this well-aged wine is fascinating and expressive. It offers funky leather and turned earth aromas over mellow fruit, floral, black pepper and beef flavors. Still firm in tannins, it has a long way to go. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

2010 Vintage Tasted: Nov 2024

This library wine offers a pretty bottle bouquet, with floral, spice and cedar notes that are amazing to linger over. It was made by longtime winemaker Bob Travers and bottled by the new ownership in 2013. A bit tight in tannins, with mineral, chalk and graphite notes coming out in the finish. Medium-bodied. Drink now.

96 / 100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

1978 Vintage Tasted: Dec 2023

Provenance matters. This bottle was stunning! Power, austerity, grace, and complexity are what you find in the non-stop waves of blackberries, currants, tobacco leaf, tart cherries, wet forest floor, and spice. The chewy fruit hits all the right notes with its balance between sweet and tart. This was simply a stunning example of classic California Cabernet Sauvignon at its peak. Drink from 2023-2030.

2019 Vintage Tasted: Sep 2023

Seductive aromas of dark cherries, mulberries, spiced plums, wild herbs and dried spices. Medium to full body with finely grained tannins. Textural and suave with a voluptuous array of berries, cherries and raw cocoa on the palate. Velvety and well-balanced with a focused developing finish. Drink or hold.

2009 Vintage Tasted: Sep 2023

An evolved nose with tertiary aromas of truffle, undergrowth, leather, bark and cigar box. Medium-bodied with polished, melty tannins. Velvety and layered with a dense and elegant core at the center. Refined and settled with a harmonious finish. Drink or hold.

2012 Vintage Tasted: Sep 2023

Subtle notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, tobacco leaves, walnut and moist earth. Medium- to full-bodied, structured and chalky on the palate. Fine tannins with a core of spicy dark fruit. Juicy too, with hints of dried mushrooms and cedar at the end. Velvety finish. Drink now.

93 / 100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

94 / 100 Christer Byklum

2019 Vintage Tasted: Aug 2023

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, nuanced, spices, some vanilla notes nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, cassis, dark fruits, anise, some spices, blackberries, long finish, firmer.

About Christer Byklum

96 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2018 Vintage Tasted: Dec 2022

This is an earthy, classically structured wine of great pedigree and style. It goes against the grain of bigger and riper wines. Tangy red fruit, sage and pencil shavings make for an expressive, lengthy and complex experience of elegance and grace. This wine will do well in the cellar. Enjoy best from 2028–2038. Virginie Boone

About Wine Enthusiast

98 / 100 Wine Enthusiast

2017 Vintage Tasted: Mar 2022

From the great estate at high elevation, this wine is substantially structured and built to age, with dusty graphite notes and grippy tannin. Sage, currant and bay leaf ride a lengthy palate of savory intensity, a mix of tobacco, lavender and plum that are immensely pleasing and complex. Enjoy best from 2027–2035. Virginie Boone

About Wine Enthusiast

2015 Vintage Tasted: Sep 2021

Medium-bodied, bright, fresh, crisp, crunchy, peppery red fruits, come along with forest floor and leafy nuances. With a lean to old-school classically designed California Cabernet, this is going to need until at least 2025 to become fun to drink. 93 Points

96 / 100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

1968 Vintage Tasted: Aug 2020

Here is a wine I never thought I would see again. Not quite as rich, fresh or dense as the previous bottle, yet this was still a sublime example of a classic California Cabernet with all the bright red fruits, cedar, herbs, earth and tobacco you need. A bit stern, the wine finishes with a blend of cherries, thyme and herbs. This is fully ready for consumption. 96 Points

96 / 100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

95 / 100 Falstaff

2015 Vintage Tasted: Mar 2020

Deep ruby garnet colour with purple reflections, subtle watery rim. Nuances of cassis, red wild berry confit, liquorice and mandarin zest, a hint of caramel and precious wood. Elegant on the palate, light nougat, sweet dark berry confit, well-integrated tannins, appears somewhat old-fashioned in a positive sense, ripe tannins, red berry nuances on the finish, a refined food wine of considerable length.

About Falstaff

1970 Vintage Tasted: Feb 2020

So much better than the bottle I tasted over a decade ago, this was just great. Piquant red fruit, cedar, leaf, herbs, pepper and tobacco were all over the place. Sweet and tart, full-bodied, spicy and bright, with length and an earthy, red berry finish, this is classic California Cabernet at its best. 96 Points

94 / 100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

1974 Vintage Tasted: Feb 2020

Rustic, bright, crisp, earthy, leafy and spicy red fruits are accompanied by tobacco nuances. The wine retains density, lift and length, as well as complexity, finishing with sharp, sweet and tart red fruits. 94 Points

2015 Vintage Tasted: Jan 2020

Some ripe blue fruit with mushroom character. Hint of conifer, too. Medium to full body. Pretty, firm and creamy tannins. Needs two or three years to come completely together, but already beautiful. Drink after 2022.

93 / 100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

2013 Vintage Tasted: Dec 2019

Powerful, tannic, backward, structured and fresh, the wine is filled with crisp, crunchy red fruit, smoke, thyme and licorice. The wine is concentrated, layered and with a bright character to the finish. This demands at least a decade and perhaps double that in the cellar before it's ready for prime time consumption. 93 Points