Winemaker Notes
The Arkenstone Estate Cabernet exemplifies the hallmark quality and vintage consistency of Arkenstone wines. With a depth and robustness that promise age-ability, this elegant, well-balanced wine showcases dark fruit, espresso, and earthy undertones.
From their Howell Mountain Estate, it's both food-friendly upon release and poised for graceful aging.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There are just 100 cases of Arkenstone's 2020 Howell Mountain Estate Red Blend, which was harvested between September 12 and 26. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with small proportions of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot, it offers up slightly angular notions of pine pitch, peppery spice and mint, set against ripe black cherries, mocha and dark chocolate. It's full-bodied, ripe and concentrated without being overdone, finishing long and velvety.
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Decanter
Winemaker Sam Kaplan has produced a bold, voluptuous, red-and-black-fruited Cabernet from Howell Mountain. Expressive boysenberry fruit dusted with allspice is tinged with chocolate, cedarwood, and roasted coffee beans. Full-bodied with rich, succulent dark berry fruit, blackberry compote, a tapestry of featherweight tannins coated in molten dark chocolate notes and a rush of pulverised granitic rock minerality on the finish. Utterly intriguing, growing in volume and complexity with air.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.