High in the hills above Sonoma Valley, where the peaks of the Mayacamas range form the boundary between Napa and Sonoma counties, grow some of California’s best Cabernets. In the Moon Mountain AVA, iron-rich soils, old vines, and upwards of 2,200 feet of elevation combine to create a framework for age-worthy wines that possess a true sense of place. Up here, old-school Sonoma winemaking and energetic new projects are sharing the hillsides and a vision for the future of California Cabernet.
Although the Moon Mountain AVA has been recognized only since 2013, the region’s oldest vines date back to the 1850s, when early farmers like James Hamilton (Montecillo Vineyard) and Thomas Nau (Nuns Canyon Ranch) cleared trees from elevated slopes to plant a range of popular varieties. Subsequent replantings have sharpened the focus, and now Cabernet reigns supreme. This isn’t surprising, given that the opposite slope of this hillside is the Mount Veeder AVA in Napa Valley. But the wines of Moon Mountain are distinct, bearing the clear imprint of volcanic soils and a persistent acidity that seems to resonate throughout the appellation. Wines here are powerful but seldom bombastic. Energetic, but never chaotic. It’s the mark of a truly great wine region beginning to find its footing.
Rodrigo Soto, co-owner of Far Mountain Wines and a member of the Moon Mountain District Winegrowers Association, was drawn to the magic of the area before it became a recognized appellation. “There’s something energetic about being out there,” he says “[Moon Mountain] has a special connection. It feels private, feels remote, feels wild.”…