Mayacamas Vineyards

Mayacamas Vineyards traces its origins to 1889, when John Henry Fisher purchased the remote mountain property on Mount Veeder and built the stone winery that still stands today, constructing it and a nearby distillery from stones gathered on the property. He planted Zinfandel vines and named the estate Fisher & Sons, sending casks of wine down the mountain trails to the Napa River by horse-drawn carriage and ferrying them by barge to San Francisco. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire forced Fisher's San Francisco businesses into bankruptcy, and his Mount Veeder estate was sold at auction for $5,000 on the steps of the Napa Courthouse. The Brandlin family, a name synonymous with Mt. Veeder through Brandlin Vineyard, owned the property from 1921 to 1941. In 1941 Jack and Mary Taylor bought the property from Henry Brandlin and re-christened the estate Mayacamas Vineyards, creating the wine label and iconography, a stylized letter M flanked by two lions, that the winery still uses today. Jack, originally from the United Kingdom, was a chemist who had worked as an executive with Shell Oil for eighteen years; under the Taylors' ownership he planted the property's first Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon vines. In 1968 Bob Travers and his wife Elinor purchased Mayacamas from the Taylors for $360,000, beginning a stewardship that employed traditional winemaking methods consistently over 45 vintages spanning six decades. It was under Travers that the 1971 Cabernet Sauvignon was selected for the Judgment of Paris tasting held in Paris in 1976. In 2013 Travers sold the winery to investor Charles Banks and his wife Ali, former owners of Screaming Eagle, in partnership with Jay Schottenstein and his son Joey. Banks was convicted of defrauding his client, former NBA player Tim Duncan, and was sentenced to prison; he was forced to give up his interest in the winery and its vineyard. In September 2017 the Schottenstein family of Columbus, Ohio, owners of retailers including American Eagle Outfitters and DSW, announced it had assumed 100% ownership of Mayacamas Vineyards. “Since 2013 our family has been committed to the long-term stewardship of this property, and assuming 100% ownership assures the continuity of our vision and the preservation of this historic estate,” said Jay Schottenstein at the time.

• Founded 1889 by John Henry Fisher, who built the stone winery from stones gathered on the property; the estate was sold at auction for $5,000 after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire
• The Brandlin family owned the property from 1921 to 1941; Jack and Mary Taylor bought it in 1941, renamed it Mayacamas Vineyards, and created its label and lion-and-M iconography
• Bob and Elinor Travers purchased the winery in 1968 for $360,000 and ran it for 45 vintages; the 1971 Cabernet Sauvignon was selected for the 1976 Judgment of Paris under their ownership
• Charles Banks and Jay Schottenstein bought the winery from Travers in 2013; Banks was convicted of defrauding a client and gave up his stake, and the Schottenstein family assumed 100% ownership in September 2017

Mayacamas sits on the edge of the crater of an extinct volcano high in the Mayacamas Mountains, with parts of the surrounding crater's stone rock formations still visible today. Of the 475-acre estate, 50 acres on the south face of Mt. Veeder are planted to vine, at elevations from 1,800 to 2,200 feet. Soils are composed primarily of weathered volcanic rock and ash, well-drained, rich in minerals but low in organic matter, producing small, intensely concentrated berries; the climate is typically cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. All mature vineyards are dry farmed, helped by the fact that this part of Napa Valley often receives roughly twice the average rainfall of the valley floor. The vineyards have been certified organic (CCOF) since 2013, managed since then by viticulturist Phil Coturri; sheep graze on site year round, foraging cover crops including fava beans, mustard and daikon radish. Twelve Cabernet Sauvignon blocks are planted mainly to California heritage clonal selections including Sees, Martha's, Niebaum and Martini alongside the estate's own Mayacamas house clone; five Chardonnay blocks, at elevations from 1,800 to 2,100 feet, are dominated by variations of the Wente Clone on St. George rootstock; six Merlot blocks are planted primarily to French Clone 181 and Clone 3; two Sauvignon Blanc blocks on the estate's west side, at 2,100 to 2,200 feet, are planted mainly to Clone 1 with some Sauvignon Musqué; and a single Grenache block just below the winery, at 1,800 feet, is a clonal field blend sourced from favorite Grenache vineyards in Sonoma and Napa. The Mayacamas name itself is drawn from a Wappo word said to mean ‘howl of the mountain lions.’

• 475-acre estate on Mt. Veeder, with 50 acres currently planted, at elevations from 1,800 to 2,200 feet; the estate sits on the edge of an extinct volcano crater
• Volcanic-ash and rock soils, well-drained and low in organic matter; dry farmed, with roughly twice the average rainfall of the Napa Valley floor
• Certified organic (CCOF) since 2013 under viticulturist Phil Coturri; sheep graze the property year round on cover crops including fava beans, mustard and daikon radish
• Twelve Cabernet Sauvignon blocks, five Chardonnay blocks, six Merlot blocks, two Sauvignon Blanc blocks and one Grenache block, each with its own clonal selection

The vinification and élevage of Mayacamas wines has remained remarkably consistent since the 1950s, built around an early harvest to preserve acidity and encourage bright, vibrant flavors and extended ageing in neutral oak vessels, some in use since the 1920s, before further time in bottle. Grapes across the estate are hand harvested early in the morning and delivered to the winery cold. For the red wines, the winemaking team inspects and sorts clusters before destemming, and fermentation uses a combination of concrete tanks, stainless steel tanks and oak cooperage, with the must pumped over and mixed daily to homogenize temperature and extract color and flavor; maceration typically runs 10 to 25 days. Cabernet Sauvignon ages 24 months in large-format foudres of French and American oak ranging from 700 to 4,500 liters, some nearly 100 years old, followed by 12 more months in 225-liter barrique and 500-liter puncheon with roughly 10% new French oak, for a total élevage of 36 months, then a year of bottle conditioning before release; the blend can vary by vintage, sometimes 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and other years including Cabernet Franc and/or Merlot. The estate's Red Wine, a Left Bank Bordeaux-inspired blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and the Merlot both age 24 months total between foudre and barrique/puncheon, with bottle conditioning to follow. Chardonnay is pressed using a combination of whole-cluster (85%) and crushed pressing (15%) at low pressures, with juice settled and clarified cold in stainless steel before moving to oak for fermentation; malolactic fermentation is prohibited on the estate's white wines, and occasional bâtonnage may be used on slower Chardonnay ferments. Chardonnay ages 12 to 18 months, split between French and Austrian oak puncheon/foudre (45%) and barrique (55%) with about 10% new oak, then a year in bottle before release. Grenache Rosé is pressed whole-cluster with maceration limited to a two-hour press cycle to keep its color pale, then fermented and aged in French oak puncheon and stainless-steel drums with no new oak. Sauvignon Blanc is likewise pressed whole-cluster at low pressures, then fermented and aged in barrique, puncheon and stainless-steel drums with no new oak. Both age 6 to 8 months.

• Early harvest, hand-picked and delivered cold; fermentation in concrete, stainless steel and oak cooperage for the reds, with 10 to 25 days of maceration
• Cabernet Sauvignon: 24 months in large neutral foudres (some nearly 100 years old) plus 12 months in barrique/puncheon, about 10% new French oak, 36 months total élevage, then a year in bottle
• Chardonnay, Grenache Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc: whole-cluster pressed, no malolactic fermentation, occasional bâtonnage; Chardonnay ages 12 to 18 months with about 10% new oak, the rosé and Sauvignon Blanc 6 to 8 months with no new oak
• Style has remained consistent since the 1950s: early harvest for acidity, extended ageing in neutral oak, further time in bottle before release

Mayacamas gained international attention when its 1971 Cabernet Sauvignon was entered into Steven Spurrier's Judgment of Paris tasting, held in Paris in 1976; Spurrier had originally requested the 1970 vintage, but it had already sold out, so he settled for the still unready 1971 instead. That wine placed 7th among all the red wines represented in the original tasting; subsequent recreations of the tasting had the 1971 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon placing higher, evidence of how much additional time the wine needed to develop and improve in the bottle. In the years since, Mayacamas has continued to draw national press and critical attention: Wine Spectator ranked the winery No. 2 on its Top 100 of 2019 and No. 4 on its Top 100 of 2020, and profiled the winery's post-2013 restoration under the headline 'A Decade into New Ownership, This Historic Property is Primed to Reach New Heights.' Basketball star LeBron James, a longtime fan of the wines, brought a group of his then-Cleveland Cavaliers teammates to the property to taste in 2017, a visit later chronicled by ESPN and by Wine Spectator.

• The 1971 Cabernet Sauvignon, made after Spurrier's requested 1970 vintage sold out, was entered into the 1976 Judgment of Paris and placed 7th among the reds in the original tasting
• Subsequent recreations of the Judgment of Paris tasting had the 1971 Mayacamas placing higher than it had in 1976
• Wine Spectator ranked Mayacamas No. 2 on its Top 100 of 2019 and No. 4 on its Top 100 of 2020
• LeBron James brought Cleveland Cavaliers teammates to taste at Mayacamas in 2017, later covered by ESPN Magazine and Wine Spectator

After the 2013 ownership change, Andy Erickson took over winemaking; his first Napa Valley internship, in 1994, had been at Mayacamas. Viticulturist Phil Coturri, of Enterprise Vineyards, has managed the vineyards since 2013, overseeing organic conversion and replanting. Braiden Albrecht joined Mayacamas through Coturri's Enterprise Vineyards starting in 2013; Erickson offered him a position in the cellar, and he became head winemaker at Mayacamas in 2018. When the Schottenstein family announced full ownership in September 2017, the statement noted that the full team, including Erickson, Coturri, Jimmy Hayes, Albrecht and Artie Johnson, would remain with the winery. The October 2017 Napa fires destroyed the estate's hospitality/residence structure but spared the 1889 stone winery; construction on a new visitor building began in 2018. Today the estate is open for guided tours and tastings by appointment only, seven days a week: a Classic tasting is $135 per person for 60 minutes, and Reserve and Kosher tastings are each $165 per person for 90 minutes, with all Kosher wines non-Mevushal and OU-P certified. Mayacamas also operates a downtown Napa tasting room at 1256 First Street, open six days a week (closed Tuesdays), with tastings starting at $40 per person.

• Andy Erickson took over winemaking after the 2013 ownership change; his first Napa Valley internship, in 1994, was at Mayacamas
• Phil Coturri (Enterprise Vineyards) has managed the vineyards since 2013; Braiden Albrecht, who joined via Coturri's company in 2013, became head winemaker in 2018
• The October 2017 Napa fires destroyed the estate's hospitality/residence structure but spared the 1889 stone winery; a new visitor building began construction in 2018
• Estate tours are by appointment only: Classic $135/60 minutes, Reserve and Kosher $165/90 minutes; a downtown Napa tasting room at 1256 First Street offers tastings from $40

Mayacamas's current lineup is Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Red Wine, Merlot, Grenache Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc, alongside a Special Bottling Series and a Kosher program. The Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from 12 estate blocks; the Red Wine is a Left Bank Bordeaux-inspired blend drawing on 26 Cabernet Sauvignon blocks, 6 Merlot blocks and 5 Cabernet Franc blocks across 35 sub-blocks, typically Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant with Cabernet Franc for aromatic lift and Merlot for mid-palate texture. The Special Bottling Series showcases small lots with distinct terroir; current bottlings to date are the 2013 Chardonnay Terraces, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Golden Hill, 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sunset, 2018 Chardonnay Hill Block, 2019 Chardonnay Terraces, 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Top Block and 2021 Chardonnay Hill Block. The Kosher wines are made by Mayacamas's winemaking team working directly with a Rabbinic winemaking team, with the physical handling of harvest through bottling carried out by Rabbis; each Kosher wine is a small-production, single-vineyard expression of its varietal bottling.

• Current lineup: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Red Wine, Merlot, Grenache Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, a Special Bottling Series and a Kosher program
• Red Wine blend draws on 26 Cabernet Sauvignon blocks, 6 Merlot blocks and 5 Cabernet Franc blocks across 35 sub-blocks, typically Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant
• Special Bottling Series to date: 2013 Chardonnay Terraces, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Golden Hill, 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sunset, 2018 Chardonnay Hill Block, 2019 Chardonnay Terraces, 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Top Block, 2021 Chardonnay Hill Block
• Kosher wines are physically made by Rabbis working with the Mayacamas winemaking team; each is a small, single-vineyard expression of its varietal

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.mayacamas.com/, https://www.mayacamas.com/explore/, https://www.mayacamas.com/explore/history/, https://www.mayacamas.com/explore/craft/, https://www.mayacamas.com/explore/future/, https://www.mayacamas.com/explore/accolades-press/, https://www.mayacamas.com/visit/estate/, https://www.mayacamas.com/visit/downtown/, https://www.mayacamas.com/wines/mayacamas-cabernet-sauvignon/, https://www.mayacamas.com/wines/mayacamas-chardonnay/, https://www.mayacamas.com/wines/mayacamas-red-wine/, https://www.mayacamas.com/wines/mayacamas-merlot/, https://www.mayacamas.com/wines/mayacamas-grenache-rose/, https://www.mayacamas.com/wines/mayacamas-sauvignon-blanc/, https://www.mayacamas.com/wines/mayacamas-special-bottling/, https://www.mayacamas.com/kosher-offerings/. Secondary sources: The Napa Wine Project, Press Democrat/North Bay Business Journal (September 11, 2017), San Francisco Chronicle (Virginie Boone, April 2, 2019). Last verified 2026-09-08. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs, except where noted in the article's conflicts log.