2022 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder

WSI97 JS99 A magnificent wine that’s built for long-term aging, with the intensity and tannin of a Pauillac. So dark and dense in black cherries, blackcurrants, dried blueberries, bittersweet chocolate, spearmint and creme de cassis. It’s firm and layered from the first sip to the last, lingering long, with cocoa and mint in the finish. The firmest and most structured of the Lokoya lineup. Best from 2035.

JD97+ Another stunning release, the 2022 Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon shows intense black cherries, graphite, resinous herbs, sage, and currants, with tremendous minerality on the nose. Full-bodied and massively structured, it delivers beautiful concentration backed by substantial yet polished tannins and exceptional length. This 100% Cabernet spent 22 months in 88% new French oak and is going to evolve gracefully for 25+ years. It will most likely be one of the longest-lived wines in the vintage.

DEC97 Since 1995, Lokoya has produced Cabernet Sauvignon from its Veeder Peak Estate, located at 548 meters on the rugged western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains. In 2022, this wine is a true shape-shifter. Its effusive floral aromatics and rich red fruit might lead you to believe it’s a graceful, delicate wine—and in many ways, it is. But beneath the surface lies formidable power. Soaring, iron-laced tannins build slowly and then grip the palate in all directions. They’re multidimensional, intense, and demand a proper decant. Once they begin to resolve, the wine’s lifted florality reemerges, joined by chalky minerality and wild herbal nuances. It’s a wine of tension and elegance—complete, compelling, and deeply expressive despite the challenges of the 2022 vintage. Hats off to Chris Carpenter and the team for crafting something so refined and resonant under pressure. Lokoya, owned by the Jackson Family, is dedicated exclusively to single-appellation, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines from four Napa Valley mountain AVAs: Mount Veeder, Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain, and Spring Mountain. The winemaking is consistent across all four wines—native yeast fermentation, hand pump-overs, malolactic fermentation in barrel, and 22 months of ageing in 85% new French oak. What sets these wines apart isn’t technique, but terroir. Carpenter notes that Napa Valley Cabernet is defined not just by soil, but by the rhythm of Pacific breezes that cool the region—moving south to north in the evenings, and north to south in the mornings. Above the fog line, the mountains experience more moderated diurnal shifts, allowing fruit to ripen slowly and evenly. It’s this rare equilibrium of sun, soil, and wind that gives Lokoya’s mountain Cabernets their unmistakable identity—and in the case of the 2022 Mount Veeder, a thrilling duality of grace and grip.