Duckhorn Howell Mountain Red Wine 2012
-
Tasting
Panel -
Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine &
Spirits
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
Lovely toasted vanilla nose; smooth and lush with juicy plum and toasty oak; supple and elegant, rich and long. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 % Merlot, 5 % Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot .
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
There are times in every wine drinkers' life in which power and fullness beat all else. The 2012 Duckhorn Vineyards Howell Mountain Red Wine has provided such a moment. After popping the cork, I found myself memorized with this wine's richness, intensity, and balance. I already knew going in that richness was not going to be a problem and that since the winery inaugural vintage—the winery's first release was the legendary 1978 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot, I have been a consistent fan of the winery and this wine could be one of the best from Howell Mountain. (Tasted: September 13, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
-
Wine Spectator
Deep, intense and well-structured, sharply focused on a tight-knit mix of gravelly earth, blackberry and wild berry notes, with touches of anise, licorice, dried herb and underbrush flavors, this ends with a burst of ripe fruit and dusty, fine-grained tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030.
-
Wine Enthusiast
A big-shouldered red made predominantly of Cabernet Sauvignon with a balance of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this wine offers bold, firm tannins and heaps of body. Blackberry, chocolate mocha and clove flavors meet crayon and graphite notes in a mashup of classic and ripe styles.
-
Wine & Spirits
This is a high-octane mountain cabernet, its sweet black fruit subdued by the richness of new French oak (95 percent of the lot), which works to tame its power and make it accessible in its youth. The flavors are dark in tone, from pipe tobacco to walnuts and soy. Decant it for an equally massive steak. (2,353 cases)
Other Vintages
2005-
Connoisseurs'
Guide
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Connoisseurs'
Guide
Founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has been crafting classic Napa Valley wines for nearly 40 years. This winemaking tradition has grown to include seven meticulously farmed Estate vineyards, located throughout the various microclimates of the Napa Valley. Focused on quality and consistency, these Estate vineyards are an essential element in making wines of distinction. Pioneering and perfecting Merlot as a premium varietal, Duckhorn Vineyards now makes several elegant Merlot and distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings that showcase its premium vineyard sites. Duckhorn Vineyards has been named one of the “Top 100 Wineries” in the world eight times by Wine & Spirits, and the 2014 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot Three Palms Vineyard was named the “2017 Wine of the Year,” topping Wine Spectator’s annual list of the world’s “Top 100 Wines.”
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.