Winemaker Notes
A beautiful, saturated garnet in the glass, the 2018 QUINTVS erupts with aromas of wild cherry and ripe blackberry anchored by lavender, wild rose, and forest floor. This mesmerizing nose is closely followed by flavors of ripe fruit and the savory elements we are so well acquainted with from the ADAMVS Estate like fresh bay, wild sage, and a hint of salinity. Broad and weighty on the palate, the QUINTVS provides a firm structure, and a mineral-laced vertical drive through a very long finish. Drink now with a firm decant or cellar in excess of ten to fifteen years.
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesA step up, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon QUINTVS is a blend of all the terroirs on the estate. Darker currants, smoked herbs, tobacco, and leather are just some of its nuances, and it’s full-bodied, with fine tannins, good overall balance, and a great finish.
Today Cabernet Sauvignon is the star of this part of Napa’s rugged, eastern hills, but Zinfandel was responsible for giving the Howell Mountain growing area its original fame in the late 1800s.
Winemaking in Howell Mountain was abandoned during Prohibition, and wasn’t reawakened until the arrival of Randy Dunn, a talented winemaker famous for the success of Caymus in the 1970s and 1980s. In the early eighties, he set his sights on the Napa hills and subsequently astonished the wine world with a Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Shortly thereafter Howell Mountain became officially recognized as the first sub-region of Napa Valley (1983).
With vineyards at 1,400 to 2,000 feet in elevation, they predominantly sit above the fog line but the days in Howell Mountain remain cooler than those in the heart of the valley, giving the grapes a bit more time on the vine.
The Howell Mountain AVA includes 1,000 acres of vineyards interspersed by forestlands in the Vaca Mountains. The soils, shallow and infertile with good drainage, are volcanic ash and red clay and produce highly concentrated berries with thick skins. The resulting wines are full of structure and potential to age.
Today Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah thrive in this sub-appellation, as well as its founding variety, Zinfandel.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.