Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards. Karen Crouse (born in New Orleans but was raised in Los Angeles County) and her husband Greg moved up to the city of Napa in 1990 from Walnut Creek. Karen was working for American Express at the time; she moved to the Napa Valley to acquire clients and help market and host related credit card events in the region. Growing grapes and making wine was not on her initial radar. However, life takes one on various twists and turns and if one spends enough time in Napa Valley it seems, one invariably is presented an opportunity related to wine.
One day Greg (an avid cyclist) rode his bicycle up Mt. Veeder Road and returned to their home holding a flyer advertising an 80-acre property with 16 acres of vines. The flyer advertised the name of the property as “Mount Veeder Magic”, a name they ultimately kept when starting their wine brand. Karen recalls, asking him something like, “what is your point”? and Greg replying with, “we should go look at it”. So, they did. The vineyard was in bad shape, overgrown and not well cared for – and Karen recalls the old house on the property was oozing some kind of red ‘stuff’. She almost thought she was in some sort of scene from the film, Deliverance. And after taking a look around the property she informed Greg, “we are so done with this”. But then he said, “I really want this” – the next day they started escrow. They purchased the site in 2007.
Their initial thought was to continue to grow and sell grapes through existing contracts but looking closer at the resulting financials – they decided it might make more sense if they produced their own wine. Greg suggested this one day in 2008 as the economy was tanking. But their initial production was not the typical small business Napa Valley wine brand. Rather Karen astutely realized that a very tiny percentage of the population was not affected by the economic downturn and that she would pursue those clients. Friends told her this was going to be a very difficult proposition and even discouraged her from this model. Fortunately, she followed her own internal compass and instincts.
Rather than sell wine by the bottle, she decided to sell wine by the barrel. A small mention of Mount Veeder Magic in Celebrated Living, the American Airlines in-flight magazine for first and business class passengers (next to an article about The Napa Valley Reserve) helped kick off her brand and resulted in her first sales. There are a select view other Napa Valley based wineries that produce and sell wine in barrel quantities direct to consumer – but her particular barrel program is a very unique offering.
A very limited number of memberships are available. Most of her clients take an entirely hands off approach but are interested in learning about the overall process from vineyard to bottle.
Sales are strongly relationship driven with her clients – sure, they are purchasing premium extremely limited private-label one-of-a-kind offerings, but they are also buying confidence in her standards and commitment to integrity and excellence as well an extremely exclusive experience. Karen works very closely with her clients for the barrel program – it has evolved over the years; today one can purchase as little as 1/4 or 1/2 of a barrel (in addition to a full barrel). She always writes a highly personalized back label – based off of one question she initially asks clients to answer, “what do you say when you pour your wine?” And she and her label designer create each custom label based on images, quotes or colors which mean something to the client. All bottles are hand labeled – each barrel produces 24 cases, or 288 bottles.
Karen truly enjoys what she is doing, and it shows. She compares wine to the word ‘happy’ – these two words go hand in hand when enjoyed moderation in the company of family and friends.
In relation to the rest of the Napa Valley, there are not many vineyards planted on Mt. Veeder; this sub-appellation is responsible for only about 1% of the valley’s entire grape production. Part of that reason is that Mt. Veeder is extremely rugged and steep, presenting a landscape that is as challenging as it is beautiful. The original 16 acres of the Mount Veeder Magic property are planted with 14.7 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.3 acres of Merlot, thriving in thin, well-drained soils.
Properties on this part of Mt. Veeder have been subdivided into smaller parcels over the years, yet this particular area remains deeply connected to the pioneer spirit of Napa’s modern era. Notably, it possesses very historic connections to Domaine Chandon; this is where the famous sparkling wine house purchased their first property in the Napa Valley. Their oldest vineyard borders the Mount Veeder Magic property, and it is where Domaine Chandon founding chairman and president John Wright lived for a number of years, recognizing early on the singular potential of this mountain terrain.
The history of Mount Veeder is a narrative of resilience and vision. Long before the 1980s when it was officially recognized as an AVA, the mountain was a site of experimental plantings dating back to the late 19th century. Early settlers discovered that despite the logistical nightmares of farming at elevation, the fruit produced here possessed an intensity and acidity that the valley floor could rarely replicate. Wright was instrumental in the mountain’s 20th-century renaissance. By choosing these slopes for their first Napa acquisition, Chandon validated the region’s ability to produce grapes with high natural acidity and structural integrity. This historical pedigree has helped maintain Mt. Veeder’s reputation as a “tiny producer’s appellation,” where the focus remains on quality and heritage rather than mass production.
Geographically, Mt. Veeder is a unique anomaly within the Napa Valley. Located in the Mayacamas Mountains on the western side of the valley, it is the only hillside appellation that directly overlooks the San Pablo Bay. This proximity to the bay is vital; it creates a “refrigeratory effect” where cool marine breezes and fog moderate the temperatures. While the valley floor often bakes in the afternoon sun, Mt. Veeder remains several degrees cooler. Interestingly, the mountain also stays warmer at night compared to the valley floor because the cool air sinks into the basin, leaving the slopes in a thermal belt. This narrower diurnal temperature swing allows for a long, slow ripening process, ensuring that the tannins in the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot reach full maturity without the sugars skyrocketing, resulting in wines of immense balance.
Growing grapes on Mt. Veeder is a labor of love. The geology here is vastly different from the volcanic soils found on the eastern Vaca range; instead, Mt. Veeder is composed primarily of ancient sedimentary soil—specifically uplifted sea floor. The exception to this is on the upper slopes dominated by a volcanic cap. The soils are lean, rocky, and remarkably well-drained, which naturally limits the vigor of the vines. Because the soil is so nutrient-poor, the vines must struggle, sending roots deep into the fractured rock to find water. This struggle results in tiny, concentrated berries with a high skin-to-juice ratio.
The sheer steepness of the terrain, with slopes often exceeding 30 degrees, dictates that almost all vineyard work—from pruning to harvesting—must be done by hand. Machinery is largely useless on these vertical pitches. This manual labor, combined with the low yields (often less than two tons per acre), makes Mt. Veeder one of the more difficult places to farm in Napa Valley. However, for those who farm vineyards in this AVA, the reward is a wine of “mountain character” and singularity.
Mount Veeder Magic Vineyard grows on 7 different soil types divided into 6 unique blocks, each creatively named using names associated with the French Quarter in New Orleans. Parts of the vineyard are remarkably steep – planted into terraced slopes greater then 30% featuring a lower vineyard block at about 800 feet ASL and the upper block topping out at about 1,100 feet ASL. In terms of vine age, her grapes have almost reached ‘old man status’; her Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were planted in 1980 and 1981.
When Karen and Greg purchased the property the grapes were being sold to the Terlato family, owners of Rutherford Hill Winery and Chimney Rock. The vines were all head pruned at the time and yields were only about 1/2 ton per acre. Karen recalls revitalizing the vineyard as a unique challenge, one that while she did not have a background in agriculture, was one she was willing to take on. From her time at American Express and her Six Sigma Belt training, she approached her vineyard and building a new business with a very disciplined mind set.
Other vintners and growers on Mt. Veeder assisted here in these early days. In 2012 the vines were converted from head pruned to trellising. This soon resulted in a noticeable improvement in both yields and quality.
John Derr of John Derr Farming oversees the vineyard; he and his wife Ashley used to own Lampyridae Vineyards, the second highest vineyard property in Napa Valley, on Mt. Veeder. For reference, the highest vineyard in Napa Valley is Harris Blue Ridge with vines topping out at 2,742 feet, located in the far eastern ridges of the county. The Derr’s sold their property in 2021 to Merryvale and it is now called Altezia Vineyard. Jeff Fontanella is the winemaker for Mount Veeder Magic; he and his wife (also named Karen) own vineyard property on the lower slopes of Mt. Veeder and operate Fontanella Winery where they make their own wines but also custom crush grapes for several other small producers including Mount Veeder Magic.
Karen is involved in all decisions of the business ranging from farming, harvest dates, bottling and labeling.
Karen has noticed that generally speaking, her younger vintages express distinctive layering both on the bouquet and the palate, but with time, these elements become more integrated. In contrast, the older vintages already are integrated, with time creating a more seamless union, a result of additional bottle age. Regardless of which vintage you are tasting, when people ask Karen what her wine pairs well with, the answer is often, “pizza, television, conversation and sunshine”.
Select Wines
The first vintage of Mount Veeder Magic was from 2010. The wines are always estate and bottled as Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot is always blended into the wines, but depending on the vintage, its percentage will typically vary from around 8% to 12%.
The 2022 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby and nearly opaque; color is never an issue with these wines with grapes naturally producing plenty of color due to vine age and lower yields resulting in a higher skin to juice ratio. Forward fruited with the aromatics showing in a sweeet spot at 4 years post vintage, this wine smells like boysenberry, blackberry, sweet tobacco spice, menthol, humidor, old cedar box and a light kiss of dried herbs. And floral as it opens further including violets and dried rose petals. Generous in terms of its layering, especially as it continues to evolve. On the palate, this wine is already balanced in its youth, yet favors a riper side of the fruited spectrum, representative of the vintage, but never comes close to being over ripe. It tastes like raspberry, cherry, boysenberry and blueberry. Finishes with a broadly felt dusty grip with gravelly textured tannins. Bright with a balanced and lively acidity. It is already showing nicely at this age, but lets try this again in the next five and ten years. Karen calls this wine her, ‘Lightning Lane Premier Pass, front of the line ride at Disneyland”.
The 2021 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby and opaque; the floral element that is consistent across her vintages from this vineyard, is very much evident up front with scents of violets, rose petals and lavender. As layered on the palate as the bouquet, this wine showcases loads of depth and youth at 5 years post vintage. Fresh. This wine tastes like dark cherry, ripe blueberry, cassis, licorice and Satsuma plum. Additional notes include smoked sage and a chalky/minerally character. This is mountain grown with mountain texture, especially noticeable in this vintage. The tannins broadly tug with a firm and persistent gravelly and drying character which outpaces the fruit on the finish. Their grip is slow to let go. Finishes with smoked herbs. Karen calls this her ‘mighty magic’ vintage and we see why. Of all the vintages we have tried to date, perhaps this has the legs to go the furthest in terms of its aging potential. Pair with a spicy dry rub Wagyu beef and a BBQ.
The 2019 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby and opaque; less floral than some of her other vintages, the bouquet is notably spicy, sporting aromatics of crushed dark pepper, cinnamon stick, cloves, a hint of cardamom, old cedar box, dried bay leaf and as the wine opens, a note of menthol. The peppery character showing on both the bouquet and the palate, is a unique expression that Karen hasn’t noticed in her other vintages. Its fruited scents includes dark plum and dark cherry. At 7 years post vintage, the spicy and savory characteristics, expressed on both the bouquet and the palate take a front seat conversation compared to previous vintages. Darker fruited, this wine tastes like Satsuma plum, dark cherry, boysenberry, dark mulberry and crushed peppercorn and smoked sage. Brightly lit. The tannins have a distinctive character, they roll across the palate nicely but with a gravelly, persistent dusty and chewy grip. Not edgy. Not course. But very much present.
The 2018 Mount Veeder Magic Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby in color with purplish tinges on the rim; there is plenty of ripeness here, a fruit forward showing with aromas of blackberry cobbler, milk chocolate, white chocolate, mocha and vanilla extract. The bouquet is highly attractive – a pleasing interplay of both ripe fruit and dessert spice influences from the barrel aging. As it opens the fruit has a greater aromatic impact. The palate is richly flavored but not intensely structured – extremely approachable and already balanced in its youth. The tannins are similar in texture to the 2016 bottling, chalk-like but perhaps slightly tighter wound due to this wine’s youth at the time of our tasting. The finish is lengthy and lingers with dark fruits and darker spicy notes including of tobacco and a hint of pepper.
The 2017 Mount Veeder Magic Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby and opaque; the bouquet is quickly generous, ripe with layers of integrated fruit aromatics and some darker barrel influenced tones. It smells like cherry pie, blackberry jam, boysenberry spread, dark mulberry Santa Rosa plum at peak of ripeness and dark chocolate. The floral elements that this vineyard is known for, are perhaps masked somewhat by the intensity of the ripe fruit. Darker and more savory than the bouquet alludes to, but still plenty ripe, this wine tastes like dark cherry, blackberry, Satsuma plum, boysenberry and dark mulberry. Finishes with a woodsy character including smoked cedar, an earthy element and dark olive, dried sage and bay leaf. A shadow cast deep on the back of the palate is a gentle but persistent warmth from the alcohol. The tannins are gravelly with a grainy and long-lasting grippy and dusty texture, persisting in tandem with fruit and warmth of alcohol on the finish for some time. At 9 years post vintage, this wine falls into the crowd pleaser category.
The 2016 Mount Veeder Magic Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby in color; offers an elegant bouquet with forward aromas of ripe blackberry, cassis and additional layers of mocha, vanilla and Graham cracker. Revisiting from the bottle after about an hour – the aromatics show a little more meaty and savory characteristics. Richly flavored without heavy tannins – the wine is seamless from entry to the finish. Shows flavors of blackberry, plum and a darker fruit plus a darker spice component towards the back of the palate. Lingers with fine chalk-like tannins and flavors of dark cherry and hints of cedar. Very supple on the long finish, the fruit outpaces the tannins in its length. A crowd favorite for sure.
—
Limited amounts of library wines are still available. In 2019 Karen conceived a special 300 bottle only offering called Connection & Perspective. Long time family friends with the Los Angeles based Marroquin family – she was introduced to the artwork of Matias Marroquin (who in part, specializes in abstract impressions of Los Angeles neighborhoods). She commissioned him (still in his teens at the time) to produce a patchwork like abstract image of her vineyard using a variety of photographs including aerial shots as framework perspective for his final piece. This singular bottling is from the 2016 vintage.
Another unique offering is a 6-year library selection, an almost vertical of wines from 2012 through 2018 (missing only the 2016 vintage) contained in a sizable wooden ‘treasure chest’ – each chest is laser inscribed with a personal note from Karen. Only 25 of these coveted chests were produced.
Mount Veeder Magic does have limited distribution in restaurants, but the wines are primarily sold direct to consumer. And Karen has partnered with several lifestyle brands including Blackbook Motorsport (an exclusive members club for the global motorsports industry). Total production of the Mount Veeder Magic wines is usually between 600 and 700 cases a year. The barrel production is limited to 25 barrels each year.
In addition to her role at Mount Veeder Magic Karen operates Karen Crouse Napa Valley. This is a lifestyle and brand platform that serves as a personal window into her lifestyle within Napa Valley. While she is well-established as a vintner and grower, notably through her work with Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards, this additional business focuses on her role as a Tastemaker and Entrepreneur, providing a curated guide to elegance and sophisticated living. She writes a lifestyle column for a local publication, Napa Valley Life. She also sells several wine and culinary related items, each made from parts of wine barrels that formerly aged the Mount Veeder Magic wines. These items include a barrel-aged oak riser, a three bottle wine holder and a barrel-aged tasting board pair.
For more information, to purchase individual bottles or to become a member, visit: www.mountveedermagic.com or for Karen’s Napa Valley lifestyle focused website, visit: www.karencrousenapavalley.com
Leave a Reply