Immortal Estate
Immortal 100-point wine from the Californian mountains
The finest Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are planted on 55° steep slopes in the Mayacama wilderness in California. The result is wines that Robert Parker (and colleagues) award 100 points and the title “immortal”.
Most exclusive luxury wines with 100 points from the wild Californian mountains.
Juan Servin has been working in the windy heights of the Mayacama Mountains for decades. In an environment where workers give up or stop coming to work because the gradient of over 55 degrees and the 1000 meters of altitude are taking their toll. Here Juan looks after "his vineyard", his family, and defends it against forest fires, wild animals and drought. He himself doesn't drink wine. But Robert Parker does.
People find bottles of good wine on the sea floor that last for decades and centuries. A bottle of wine is therefore like an almost immortal testimony to time, a snapshot of a region. The wine from these vineyards is such a wine. “This wine is almost immortal. A legacy.” (Robert Parker, 100P., 2013).
What Robert Parker discovered as a real insider tip from Sonoma was soon celebrated as a worldwide sensation . Back in the 1990s, winemakers A. Hofacket and T. Milos laid the foundation for the almost 60ha Hidden Ridge Vineyards, which have since become known under the rebranding Immortal Estate , the winery with the immortal jellyfish on the label. Timothy Milos is the genius behind the wines and now brings over 20 years of experience with these very vines into the bottle. After years of hard work, he pulled off a coup in 2013: he produced his first 100-Parker-point wine. After that, Robert Parker retired.
“Once is not enough - the trick is to be consistent in your results,” says owner Daniel Nichols. And Immortal Estate has held its own: since the 2013 vintage, all Impassable wines have consistently been above 97 points and all Slope wines have consistently been above 93 points. The 2016 vintage was another coup: 100 points! Robert Paker's successor, Jeb Dunnuck, awarded the highest score and spoke of pure perfection.
The goal is to produce immortal luxury wines in small quantities with an extremely long drinking maturity.
These wines are absolute treasures, whose aromas and value will continue to multiply over the next 20-30 years. Impassable Mountain Reserve & Slope 2016 - now exclusively for Europe at Vioneers.
All organic or what?
There are many definitions of what NATURAL means in winemaking. Not all winemakers are certified to treat nature responsibly. So we check for ourselves on site whether a winemaker meets our standards for treating the natural product wine.
✔ Organic, vegan, unfiltered, natural, etc.
✔ Biodiversity instead of monoculture
✔ Natural products produced at the pace of nature
Without kitsch.
At Immortal Estate, everything revolves around honest wine. There is no side business here with accommodation, vineyard tours, tastings and tourism. It's all about the product.
Because the vineyards are isolated in the breezy wilderness of the Mayacamas, there is no picture-perfect winery here that is typical of Napa. It's all about the taste. It's all about the wine. Absolute focus.
“I will work here as long as I can walk.”
Juan Servin has been working as vineyard manager at Hidden Ridge Vineyards / Immortal Estate for decades. These vineyards are his family, which he protects from all adversities and nurtures back to health should something happen. With Mexican roots, he is far away from home and yet has found his new home in the vineyard. He is the memory of these mountains, the good soul of the vineyard and, together with his loyal team, the muscle of the company. "I come up here to the mountains every day. I will work here until one day I can no longer walk." Respect, Juan, respect!
« If you want a quintessential example of what perfection is in my business, taste this wine! (...) This should be nearly immortal, drinking well young, and for those with the patience and wisdom to wait 25-35 years, a legacy wine from Sonoma.»
(Robert Parker, 100P.)
Mayacamas
The Hidden Ridge Vineyards (now Immortal Estate) are located right on the border and can therefore get the best of both legendary wine regions:
On the one hand, the structure and depth of a Napa Cabernet and on the other hand, the finesse, acidity and natural freshness of the cooler Sonoma Cabernet.
The vineyards are over 1000 metres above sea level. They are above the fog line in the middle of the wilderness. There are many threats: forest fires, wild animals and deep abysses. Only the hardest workers work here for the toughest vines on a 55° slope. The result is worth it: immortal wine.
wines of the winery
Impassable Mountain Reserve
2017