PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Robert Craig Winery makes Cabernet Sauvignon from three mountain appellations in Napa Valley, and the Spring Mountain District bottling is its most perfumed and elegant. The grapes come from Joan Crowley’s small, dry-farmed Crowley Vineyard, which sits at 2,000 feet along the summit of Spring Mountain, overlooking St. Helena. Its rocky volcanic soil, varied hillside exposures, and moderate climate (cooled by afternoon breezes from the Pacific) produce “densely concentrated wine grapes,” ripening slowly “without pushing high alcohol and sugars.” The vineyard is low-yield and farmed biodynamically, and Robert Craig has made wine from it since 2005.
The winery describes the wine’s signature: “Deep color and the intense perfume of dark mountain flowers are the signature of this wine each year.” The 2022 is 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec, aged 18 months in French oak, 75% new, and harvested on September 27, 2022. It was a year marked by an early frost, a cold spring, and summer heat spikes, and the dry-farmed vines “produced incredibly small, intense berries with deep color.” The winery says that it’s “defined by tiny berries and an intense expression of the rocky Spring Mountain soils,” with “a cool site even in hot years” producing “fruit of terrific freshness and vitality.” At 14.8% ABV, it’s a “textbook example of Spring Mountain’s signature blue notes, with the elegance that is a hallmark.”
Vinous’s Antonio Galloni scored it 94 points (December 2024): “The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon (Spring Mountain District) is elegant in feel and also quite expansive, especially with a bit of time in the glass. Sumptuous dark red-toned fruit, mocha, new leather and licorice all meld together in a seamless Cabernet Sauvignon that delivers the goods. The 2022 is a big wine, and yet it conveys plenty of Spring Mountain character.” James Suckling also scored it 94: “A solid, deep and dark-fruited red with hints of coffee, licorice and chocolate on the nose. Lightly earthy, too. Full-bodied, compact and layered, with a broad structure and a velvety texture to its tannins. Lingering and balanced. Well made. Drink from 2028.”
It’s a good pick for customers who want a mountain Cabernet that is perfumed, velvety, and balanced, with the floral, blue-fruited signature of Spring Mountain rather than the pure muscle of Mount Veeder or Howell Mountain. A decant of an hour or two helps if opened young, and it will reward cellaring. Pair with ribeye, lamb, venison, and aged cheeses.
Robert Craig 2022 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon is produced by Robert Craig Winery from the Crowley Vineyard (2,000 feet, biodynamically farmed, dry-farmed) in the Spring Mountain District AVA, Napa Valley, California. A blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec, aged 18 months in French oak (75% new), harvested September 27, 2022. 14.8% ABV, 750ml.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous — 94 Points (December 2024):
“The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon (Spring Mountain District) is elegant in feel and also quite expansive, especially with a bit of time in the glass. Sumptuous dark red-toned fruit, mocha, new leather and licorice all meld together in a seamless Cabernet Sauvignon that delivers the goods. The 2022 is a big wine, and yet it conveys plenty of Spring Mountain character.”
James Suckling — 94 Points (March 2025):
“A solid, deep and dark-fruited red with hints of coffee, licorice and chocolate on the nose. Lightly earthy, too. Full-bodied, compact and layered, with a broad structure and a velvety texture to its tannins. Lingering and balanced. Well made. Drink from 2028.”
Robert Craig Winery (wine notes):
“This release is defined by tiny berries and an intense expression of the rocky Spring Mountain soils in 2022. A cool site even in hot years, Joan Crowley’s small block produced fruit of terrific freshness and vitality in a year marked by variable weather.”
Nose
Deep color. Dark mountain flowers, dark red-toned fruit, mocha, coffee, licorice, and chocolate, with a light earthiness.
Palate
Full-bodied, compact, and layered, with dark fruit, blue notes, new leather, and licorice, with a broad structure and velvety tannin.
Finish
Long, balanced, and lingering, with mineral and earthy notes.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Appellation | Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, California |
| Blend | 99% Cabernet Sauvignon · 1% Malbec |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Producer | Robert Craig Winery |
| Vineyard | Crowley Vineyard — 2,000 ft; rocky volcanic soil; biodynamic, dry-farmed |
| Aging | 18 months, French oak (75% new) |
| ABV | 14.8% |
| Critics | Vinous (Antonio Galloni) 94 · James Suckling 94 |
| Drinking Window | From 2028, per Suckling |
| Style / Identity | A perfumed, velvety, blue-fruited mountain Cabernet with elegance and structure |
| Aromas & Flavors | Dark red fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice, mountain flowers, blue fruit |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Decant for an hour or two; serve at about 62-65°F.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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