Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Estate, 92% Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Semillon, was fermented in equal parts new French oak, used French oak and a concrete egg. The wine is a killer example of this blend. It spent 18 months in barrel prior to being bottled. There are 630 cases. With terrific fruit intensity, fabulous aromatics of honeysuckle, fig, caramelized citrus, melons and an almost waxiness, this beautiful, precise, incredibly pure, medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc is super-intense and a real big-time winner. Drink it over the next 4-5 years, although it’s purest certainly in it exuberant youth because of the aromatic fireworks.
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James Suckling
The nose here is so subtle, reserved and beautiful with passion fruit and green mangoes but also dried citrus rind, minerals, vanilla and cinnamon. The palate is very balanced and tight with fresh acidity, compact fruit and a long, textured finish. Drink now or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Estate spent lots of time on lees and includes 7% Semillon, aged 18 months one-third each of new barrel, once used barrels, and concrete eggs. It offers hints of stone fruits, citrus oil, lime, and tangerine on the nose and has a classic, Bordeaux-like profile. Rich, nicely concentrated, balanced and layered, with good acidity, it will drink nicely for a decade or more.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
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.