Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020
Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020 is a 100% Chardonnay from the Mount Veeder AVA of Napa Valley, California, reported at 14.5% ABV in a 750mL bottle — a mountain chardonnay rated 95 points by Vinous / Antonio Galloni. Order it online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 14.5% (retailer-sourced; confirm from bottle)
- Size: 750mL
- Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
- Appellation: Mt. Veeder AVA, Napa Valley, California
- Winemaking: Hand-harvested mid-August, whole-cluster pressed; fermented and aged in neutral oak barrel, puncheon, and foudre; malolactic fermentation fully blocked
- Scores: 95 pts — Vinous / Antonio Galloni (Jan 2022); 91 pts — Wine Enthusiast / Virginie Boone
Mountain Chardonnay, Mayacamas Style
Mayacamas sits high on Mount Veeder, and the altitude is the wine's signature: cooler air, later ripening, and a chardonnay that reads lean and mineral rather than broad and buttery. The 2020 was made by Braiden Albrecht with consulting winemaker Andy Erickson — hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, and raised in neutral oak with malolactic fully blocked, so the acid line stays taut. The 95-point Vinous score put it among the top mountain chardonnays of the vintage.
Tasting Notes
Lemon curd, white peach, and wet stone with a saline edge; the neutral oak keeps the texture silky without adding vanilla. The blocked malolactic preserves a bright, mouthwatering finish that carries the mineral length of the mountain site.
How to Enjoy
Serve chilled (not ice-cold) in a white-wine glass with oysters, roast chicken, or Dungeness crab — the acid line loves shellfish. It will also develop in bottle; drink now through 2030.
Frequently Asked Questions
What scores did the Mayacamas 2020 Chardonnay receive?95 points from Vinous / Antonio Galloni and 91 points from Wine Enthusiast — note that a Decanter 95-point rating applies to the 2022 vintage, not this one.
Is this an oaky Chardonnay?Not in the buttered-toast sense — fermentation and aging are in neutral oak with malolactic fully blocked, so the profile is mineral and taut rather than rich.
Where is Mayacamas?Mount Veeder, Napa Valley, California — one of Napa's highest and most distinctive AVAs. Explore the Mayacamas shelf or more chardonnays at Del Mesa Liquor.
For a mountain chardonnay with a 95-point pedigree, order Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Napa Valley Chardonnay 2020 online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.