Winemaker Notes
The 2019 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon is impressive, even the color tells the story: deep ruby red and very pretty in its brilliance. This is such a classic Bordeaux blend aromatically. Nothing is obvious but all so integrated. Deep black berry and tobacco seem to mesh with an almost mint-violet complex. A beautiful toasty oak brings all together. There is so much going on aromatically one can only imagine how time will enhance and develop the aromas into something quite grand indeed. It’s hard to stop inhaling these fabulous qualities. The flavor does not disappoint; there is so much going on. This is perhaps the richest wine Forman has ever produced, but certainly not awkwardly so. Beautiful fruit flavors combined with incredible texture. This is a tremendously mouth-filling wine. A real keeper!
Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 9% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, deep wine that marries elegance and finesse in a way few people can do, like Ric Forman. Rich and sumptuous in the glass, with terrific depth, the 2020 has so much to offer. Black cherry, mocha, licorice, spice, incense and new leather are all dialed up. Although it is early, this 2020 is shaping up to be one of the finer wines of the year.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has to be seen as a success in the vintage, revealing a solid bouquet of red and black fruits, tobacco leaf, cigar, and toasted spices. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet with a good sense of balance, moderate tannins, and outstanding length. It's well done and should evolve for another decade at a minimum. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it always showed well.
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Wine Spectator
This tilts toward an old-school feel, with sweet bay and savory aspects to its core of gently mulled red and black cherry fruit, all guided by an understated but persistent structure. Sanguine and iron notes underscore the finish as the fruit lingers prettily. Drink now through 2038. 1,827 cases made.
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.