2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

These are two marvelous, distinctive wines from brothers Graeme and Alex MacDonald. In just their third commercial release, the MacDonald brothers continue to make a splash with their small-production Cabernet from the heart of To-Kalon, where their family has sold fruit to the Robert Mondavi Winery since the mid-1960s. The MacDonalds make their wines up at John Kongsgaard's winery on Atlas Peak, which has become a sort of gathering place for young producers. Old, head-trained vines form the core of MacDonald Cabernet, although younger vineyards are part of the blend beginning with the 2013 vintage. Natural fermentations and manual pumpovers are part of the minimalist approach taken in the cellar. The 2012 is quite open and expressive, even in its youth, while the 2013 reminds me of the 2010, but it is a bit sweeter through the middle. These gorgeous wines reflect a daring, artisan spirit that is not so easy to find in Napa Valley these days. Readers who can source the MacDonald wines should not hesitate, as they are magnificent. For further perspective, earlier this spring, I served the 2010 blind to a group of California Cabernet lovers, along with fifteen of that vintage's widely recognized benchmark wines. In that context, among all the big names, the MacDonald wine showed beautifully. In fact, for many tasters it was one of the wines of the night.

Brothers Alex and Graeme MacDonald appear to have a very bright future. The first four commercially released vintages from the MacDonalds' parcels in To-Kalon have all been terrific. The 2011 is a perfect example of how a world-class vineyard can perform in even the most challenging of vintages. MacDonald is as no-frills as it gets. The wines are made up at John Kongsgaard's winery on Atlas Peak using the most rudimentary equipment. Then again, the 2014 fruit I tasted at crush didn't need much in the way of technology. Production is scheduled to increase slightly, but the MacDonalds intend to keep selling fruit to their existing long-time customers, so signing up for the mailing list is the best way to buy these wines. Readers might enjoy this short video I shot with Alex and Graeme MacDonald this past October.