Winemaker Notes
This Sauvignon Blanc is done in the Bordeaux style, with the inclusion of Sémillon in the final blend, both organically farmed from the Howell Mountain Estate.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
One of the top whites in the vintage, the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Howell Mountain is 94% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Semillon aged in equal parts new French oak, once-used barrels, and concrete tanks. Awesome caramelized grapefruit, lime, sappy herbs, and floral notes emerge from this Haut-Brion Blanc look-alike, which is medium to full-bodied, concentrated and beautifully balanced. It’s going to evolve for two decades in cold cellars.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Estate is a blend of 94% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Semillon, aged for 11 months in one-third new French oak, one-third once-used barrels and one-third concrete. It springs from the glass with vibrant scents of white peaches, grapefruit and underripe pears with hints of honeysuckle, chalk dust and yuzu. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with citrus and stone fruit layers plus a crisp backbone and satiny texture, finishing long and chalky.
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.