Vineyard 29 Ceanda Cabernet 2019

96pts Vinous 95pts JD 

Since the release of their first vintage, Vineyard 29 has been determined to produce the best wines possible, reflecting all the beauty and quality of the Napa Valley. Led by one of the greats, Philippe Melka, who started studying wine on a whim while at the University of Bordeaux is really at the top of the Napa pyramid. Robert Parker named him as one of the 10 best consulting winemakers in the world, and his list of accomplishments is staggering. He has produced world class wines around the world, with stops at Haute Brion and Chateaux Petrus, both in Bordeaux, as well as Dominus Estate in Napa. All of these landmark vineyards make wines that cost big money. Melka brings an unsurpassed attention to detail and deliberate care to all of his wines.

With the unilateral support of vineyard owners Chuck and Ann McMinn, he relies on an unmatched estate vineyard site and classic winemaking techniques to create the finest Napa Cab. Each of the wines are hand-crafted in small lots in their technologically sophisticated, gravity flow winery and caves in St. Helena. Vineyard 29 also employs the most careful, patient (time-consuming and labor intensive) techniques to create a wine that fully express the potential of its vineyard heritage — their Napa terroir. Applying the Old World theory of “elevage” — raising each vintage as one would raise a child — means giving the vines the height of gentle care and attention.

I am a huge fan of Vineyard 29 Cabs and today we bring you the great 2019 Vineyard 29 Estate ‘Ceanda’ Cabernet Sauvignon, with huge ratings and a great price from the stunning 2019 Napa vintage, rated 97pts by Wine Spectator and 96pts by Parker’s WA for the vintage. The wine is a blend of specific lots that focuses on two very famous vineyards for Napa Cab. The Estate Vineyard of Vineyard 29 who’s Cabernet sells for over $300 a bottle. Founded in 1989 with the planting of a 3-acre vineyard under the watchful eye of lauded vineyard manager David Abreu and, within a year, planted cuttings from neighbors, Grace Family Vineyards. The second legendary vineyard is Aida Vineyard! Some of the finest wines I have ever tasted from Napa have come from the Aida Vineyard. Two miles north of the estate vineyard that sells for $270 plus a bottle, started growing grapes since 1920 and purchased by the McMinn’s in 2000. Both these sites have made 100pt wines. Now the Vineyard 29 Ceanda gives you all the greatness of these vineyards, Cabernet as good as it gets without the price tag and the price we can offer Ceanda today makes the wine extremely desireable.