2016 Hertelendy Vineyards Signature Mountain Red Napa Valley 750 ml

This 2016 Signature Mountain Red from Hertelendy has it all: a collage of top vineyard sites, a 100-point winemaker, an outstanding vintage, and enthusiastic critical praise. But when we first discovered the wine at The French Laundry, even that impressive pedigree faded to the background as its profound concentration and labyrinthine complexity alone had us touting it as one of Napa’s elite mountain reds.  

If you were in the room when we tasted this wine, you would’ve heard a conversation that sounded a lot like Jeb Dunnuck’s passionate writeup, in which he praised it as “a total head-turner” and “powerful yet supple and seamless,” or Vinous’ review, which called it a “super-appealing, textured wine.” 

Owner Ralph Hertelendy—a sommelier and vintner whose family boasts generations of winemaking experience—had  Phil Titus, the longtime Chappellet winemaker and a Wine Access favorite, at the helm for the 2016 Mountain Red. Titus drew concentration and plushness from the volcanic soils of Pritchard Hill, Howell Mountain, and Atlas Peak sites, then added the opulence and finery of the estate’s Rockwell Ridge property, which neighbors the world-class Viader Vineyard.

Titus showed off his blending mastery here, balancing the sumptuousness from 56% Merlot with the boldness of 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, while smaller amounts of Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cab Franc add to the complexity. He then developed the wine’s seemingly bottomless depth with 23 months in 90% new French and Hungarian oak. 

This Wine Enthusiast Cellar Selection will continue evolving for years, but only if you misplace it in the cellar, because it’s simply too tempting to drink right now. Hold it or drink it—this is a seriously satisfying red either way.