Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Reminding me of a great, fully mature vintage port from Fonseca, the 2007 Fortification (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) is unquestionably the most exotic and extravagant release in the lineup and one of those wines that needs to be tasted to be believed. Revealing a ruby/plum hue (it's almost opaque), it has an incredible array of ripe red and black fruits, sweet tobacco, cigar, chocolate, and toasted spices, among other nuances. Incredibly complex, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a great, great finish. Like all the vintages of this cuvée, it has that fabulous ability to bring tons of richness and power while staying light on its feet and balanced, with a sense of elegance.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium tawny colored, the 2007 Fortification offers up rip-roaring coffee, Black Forest cake, caramel-coated walnuts and raisin cake scents with suggestions of sandalwood, Indian spices and a touch of dates. Full-bodied and full-on rich, unctuous and seductive, it has a plush frame and perfectly knit freshness, lifting the hedonic flavor layers to a very long, luxurious finish. One sip transports you to a whole other level of decadence!
Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F. To learn more, see our full Port Wine Guide
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.