CARDINALE & MT. BRAVE
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
WHY BUY:
When the great Chris Carpenter crafts a wine, collectors pay attention, and these two stunners show exactly why: one, a 100-point masterpiece; the other, a 96-point powerhouse for less than $100. Carpenter is Napa's mountain whisperer, coaxing depth and dimension from high-elevation fruit from Mt. Veeder that brings immeasurable structure, depth, and ageability to his wines. And to see his mastery at both ends of the spectrum is proof of the massive love that goes into his labor.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
Jeb Dunnuck couldn't restrain his enthusiasm for the 2021 Cardinale, declaring it simply "perfect." The wine "boasts off-the-charts richness and depth" with "notes of cassis, toasted spices, graphite, tobacco, and espresso, with perfectly integrated oak" that remains "flawlessly balanced" despite its voluptuous texture. James Suckling gushed over the 2019 Mt. Brave, noting, in his 96-point review, its "round tannins and juicy fruit” and pronouncing it "classy,” “authentic,” and “beautiful."
OUR TASTING NOTES:
To taste these wines side by side is a little like watching a virtuoso perform on two different instruments. In the Cardinale 2021, we have, as usual, a beautifully integrated blend of an array of vineyard sites: predominantly Cabernet, but with a touch of Merlot from Stags Leap, Saint Helena, Rutherford, and all of Cardinale's prized mountain properties. With each sip, the wine reveals itself more fully, a winding journey that takes you from dark fruit intensity to structural depth to subtle mineral notes that seem to vibrate with energy. This is a commanding wine, a wine of enormous presence, and you’ll love it more with each glass. The Mt. Brave 2019 plays a more focused tune, letting Mt. Veeder's ancient seabed soils take center stage. This Bordeaux-style blend practically leaps from the glass with vivid aromatic, but what sustains your interest, over the hours, is its impressive depth and sneaky finesse. Both wines share Carpenter's unmistakable touch, that ability to convey mountain fruit's natural intensity while never letting it overwhelm nuance and detail.
THE STORY:
Chris Carpenter doesn't just make mountain wines; he's obsessed with them; where others see challenging terrain, he sees opportunity. His work with Mt. Brave showcases his love affair with Mt. Veeder, where deep, rocky soils and a maze of microclimates create wines of startling depth. For Cardinale, he takes his mountain fixation valley-wide, though high-elevation fruit still dominates the blend. This is tricky work — the vines, bathed in sunshine during the day, cool dramatically at night, creating no small amount of stress on them — and the yields are often low. But when things click (and for Carpenter, they do more often than they don’t) the results are striking, and, sometimes, transcendent.
THE METHOD:
Carpenter's philosophy is about allowing each site to express itself while still crafting a wine that reflects his vision. He begins with rigorous vineyard selection, focusing on sites that naturally limit yields and produce fruit with intense flavor concentration. His patience during harvest is legendary: he waits for perfect phenolic ripeness, while monitoring each vineyard block separately. In the winery, he tends to favor traditional techniques with modern precision — gentle handling, meticulous sorting, carefully managed extraction, and judicious use of oak.
WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH:
Complex, substantial wines call for complex, substantial cuisine. The Cardinale's is an ideal dance partner for dry-aged ribeye or rack of lamb; The Mt. Brave's slightly more focused character makes for beautiful matches with wine-braised short ribs, or truffle-infused risotto.
OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we only buy and source directly from the estates, to ensure perfect provenance. Secure your bottles today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Summer 2025. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NE, NY, OK & TN. This offer is valid for TWO WEEKS, or until sold out, and will expire on Thursday, May 1st, 2025.