Mountain Terraces – A Real Treat From Wines at the Mountain Top
Photo by Jerry Padilla of Ledson Winery
Mountain Terraces Vineyard is a world-class estate vineyard sitting at 2,500 feet on the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountain range. This is part of the small Moon Mountain AVA. The vineyard is comprised of 200 acres of rugged mountain terrain. Varieties planted on the property include, besides the dominant Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Viognier, Merlot, Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Sangiovese.
There are many reasons for the uniqueness of the property including soil composition and diurnal temperature swings from the heat of the summer and cooling fog in the evening brushing against the high altitude Moon Mountain vineyards.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Three of these exquisite wines were presented for the tasting. I had just recently published a review of Lex’s Vineyard and opted to only taste the other two. The story on Lex’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon can be found at: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2026/06/22/mountain-terraces-vineyard-2010-lexs-cabernet-sauvignon-a-crowning-achievement/
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First up was the 2016 Taylor’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. First on the eyes a dark and brooding color. On the nose, flavors of dark berries, especially blueberries and blackberries rush up into the senses to entice you for the first sip. Once in the mouth the bold fruits dance merrily about with joy. Secondary flavors of vanilla pipe tobacco take place. At the finish, the grapes, aged 30 months in oak, imparted both complex and velvety tannins.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The second wine enjoyed was the 2018 Mountain Terraces Cabernet Sauvignon Block 14. If you look at the aerial photo taken by Ledson Winery, it is located at the bottom of the hill. This is a rare and exotic wine for several reasons which are: 1) the 100% French barrels used come from 300-year trees 2) the staves were aged five years in the cooperage yard 3) the minerality imparted from being at the bottom of the hillside. The barrels alone cost more than $1,500 each! This wine goes for $240/bottle and is worth every penny. This was the first time tasting this rarefied wine and hopefully not my last. Vintages of the wine range from 96 points and up.
Again, dark deep coloring with luscious minerality and bright fruit depicts the rarity of this wine. You may never taste such gorgeous wine again.
Both wines earned a spot on my Best Wines Tasted in 2026 list. Roughly 2,000 wines are tasted each year, only about 2% make the annual list that is published yearly in December.
Jerry wanted to take a picture after three hours of me writing notes and tasting these great wines. I wrote pages of notes on each wine enjoyed and the conversations with Jerry.
Photo ©Michael Kelly taken by Jerry Padilla
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly