Winemaker Notes
A captivating expression of mountain-grown fruit, with bold, layered aromas of marionberry, black cherry, cedar, and red plum, complemented by hints of toasted coconut, cigar box, vanilla bean, and dried herbs. On the palate, rich red plum and boysenberry flavors unfold with warm spice notes of nutmeg and a subtle touch of dried herbs. Silky yet structured tannins carry the wine to a bold, lingering finish. True to its Howell Mountain origins, this Cabernet showcases impressive structure, deep concentration, and elegant complexity,
Professional Ratings
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PinotReport
Aromas of wild blackberries, baking spices, river stones and herbs. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving flavors of mulberries, mocha, ferric earth and violets. Very bold, with a soft touch. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a site on Howell Mountain, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch has a deep purple hue as well as beautiful notes of blackberry, darker plum, and currant fruits intermixed with spicy wood, chocolate, and savory flowers. It's balanced, medium to full-bodied, has a round, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. As with the other wines here, it offers pleasure today yet will keep for 10-15 years if well stored.
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.
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.