Mel and I had the very special opportunity to visit with the MacDonald Bros Thursday on our way home from SF. We knew, and always liked, Graeme from his days at Scholium Project but he and Alex were extraordinary in extending this kind of hospitality to non-ITB folks like us. We were buyers of their initial release.
Walking this unique plot of old vines and getting the history straight from those who lived it was a remarkable way for us to end our mini-vacation. Standing among 60+ year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines, surrounded by all of To-Kalon, and eventually spending time in the Sauvignon Blanc I-Block Vineyard will forever change how I drive that stretch of Hwy 29 - it was simply unforgettable!
What struck Mel & I most was the theme of conservancy that emanates from the MacDonalds and so befits the serene nature of this special, extraordinarily valuable piece of Napa Valley land. It is easy as consumers to feel their sense of pride in accomplishing this stewardship, and to realize this success is historically important and will hopefully become the legacy of their children and grandchildren.
I’ll attach the cell phone photos we took, which do no justice whatsoever. Larry Piggins, you need to wrangle an invitation and take some real quality photographs!
We got a chance to drink the 2010 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon, which had been double decanted 24 hours earlier and then left open and simply decanted just before we arrived. We adored this wine over the course of a lovely 45-60 minutes. The perfume is ridiculous and the pungent mid-palate transitions elegantly to a finish marked by very even, smooth tannins. It is old school, terrific Cab Sav. The only recent young wine I’ve had in this league is the precocious 2009 Monte Bello, which didn’t display the saline/mineral notes noticeable in the MacDonald. Additionally I’ll remark the 2010 MacDonald possesses real energy: it is really easily appreciated, palpable and sets this wine ever further apart from other beautiful Napa Valley Cabernets. Some of the youngest vines on this property are clone 4, a clone I have always liked in other wines. The majority of the fruit is from the older, To-Kalon clone vines.
We also tried the 2011 MacDonald, splash-decanted from a 375. If what you seek is terroir, easily marked by vintage variation, then this can be a list worth waiting on. While the structure from the much-cooler 2011 vintage is reminiscent of the 2010 the attack and fruit profile is very different. A unique brother, not a distant younger cousin, and this will be very enjoyably in its own right given proper cellaring. What 2012 and 2013 hold here will be the stuff of legend, I would imagine.
It is so very easy to root for Alex & Graeme, Godspeed on their journey.
On the way to the eldest vines…
60 + year-old Cabernet Sauvignon…
No caption necessary…
I-Block Sauvignon Blanc vine…
