Sonoma Valley Wines
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
2018 Ledson Winery Dry Creek Valley “October Moon Vineyard” Malbec – An Exceptional Treat With A Sensational Meal!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I purchased this wine a few years ago at a visit with friends enjoying the day with the knowledgeable and engaging Jerry Padilla at Ledson Winery.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The wine has matured and developed sensationally during this time! First on the eyes a unique maroon purplish coloring with a medium viscosity. On the nose both cherries and violets arise wafting into the senses with a full expectation of wonderment. Once in the mouth, an assemblage of fruits of blackberries, raspberries combine with cocoa filling the palate with a voluptuous textual feel. The long and enjoyable finish concludes with a tinge of oak and the delightful cocoa rebounds. A truly unique and exciting treat this evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine recently won Double Gold Medal at the 2025 Finger Lakes Wine Competition and scored 91 points/Gold Medal at the 2025 Sunset International Wine & Spirits Competition. The wine came in at 15.1% alcohol level. The wine goes for $48/bottle, and the current vintage is 2019.
This wine will make my annual Best Wines Tasted for 2025, in the $50 and less category! That list comes out mid-December.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Tonight’s meal was sensational on so many levels! First the marinating of a flank steak for 24 hours in a Chaka sauce. The meat was seared at 1500 degrees to a beautiful medium rare level and topped off with pieces of cilantro with a little lime juice for Carne Asada dish.
The second sensational portion was just before searing it was seasoned and pounded gently into the meat with a remarkable spice from Flatiron Pepper Company called Dark & Smoky BBQ Rub. This was the first time using this rub and is it now the defacto standard for BBQ-ing abandoning our normal spice rack concoction for BBQ-ing steaks! This rub contains chipotle, ancho, habanero, thyme, toasted onion, smoke ghost, roasted garlic and paprika! I usually don’t give endorsements on spices, but this is now the third one and have enjoyed all three (the other two being Hatch Valley Green and Dark & Smoky peppers).
Photo from Flatiron Pepper Co.
The third sensational portion of the dinner was the southwest-style black bean soup. The preparation and ingredients included tomato puree, black beans, corn, roasted red pepper, sea salt, dried cilantro, onion powder, a modicum of sugar, garlic powder and a few other items. That said, we took a short cut with a tasty option, which was to open a Progress Soup Southwest-Style Black Bean soup that was delicious!
Accompanying the meal was a Yukon Gold potato and a slice of fresh sourdough bread from a local bakery with Rosemary and Garlic. The entire meal had a smoky (Carne Asada, spices, soup) and southwest theme and with the complimentary Malbec wine with its fruits wrapping up the meal.
On a personal note, we both were amazed with the meal and talked extensively about the wine, the meat, the soup and the new BBQ spice. A great evening on so many levels.
The Winery
Photo from Ledson Winery Website
The Ledson story begins in England in 1896 and is detailed on the website https://ledson.com/discover-ledson/history/ . It is a tale of hard work, family ties and a desire to do more for the community. Steve Ledson’s history is both unique and common—unique with background and successful venture and common with family ties. His demeanor and casual manner speak volumes.
The Castle is the official tasting room of Ledson Winery, and the architecture and construction alone are worth the visit! Ledson Winery offers the largest premium wine portfolio of any family-owned winery in the United States. Today they offer more than 70 wines annually! More information on Ledson Winery can be found at:
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly