Winemaker Notes
Cabernet Franc grapes for this wine come from an exceptional block of our estate vineyard, right next to our century-old stone winery on Howell Mountain. Planted in 1976, the vineyard was grafted onto St. George rootstock and escaped the ravages of phylloxera to become one of the oldest Cabernet Franc vineyards in Napa County. The old vines self-regulate, so we don’t need to thin the crop, pull leaves or otherwise adjust the grape-to-canopy ratio. Not many wineries produce Cabernet Franc, and this wine definitively captures the essence of our La Jota terroir. We also source grapes for this wine from portions of the W.S. Keyes Vineyard, a mile down the road, where more hours of sunshine benefit this Cabernet Franc.
The wine has an approachable minerality followed by herbal aromatics. Notes of anise, blackberry, and black tea are carried by an impressive mouthfeel and long drawn out finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made from 100% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Cabernet Franc Howell Mountain has a very deep purple-black color, revealing a drop dead gorgeous perfume of red roses, violets and black tea over a core of kirsch, red currants and black raspberries, with wafts of cinnamon stick and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, very finely textured and refreshing in the mouth, it offers wonderful perfumed red fruit layers and a long, mineral-laced finish
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Wine Enthusiast
There are simply not enough wines of this variety at this level from the Napa Valley so this stands out in more ways than one. Blueberry, blackberry and cinnamon provide a warmth of inviting and voluptuous layers of flavor that are buoyed by violet and lavender aromas, while softened tannins allow the texture to impress. Editors’ Choice
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James Suckling
Fresh blackcurrants, herbs, ivy, licorice and dried violets. Full-bodied with lovely tangy fruit, a real dash of acidity, grippy tannins and a long, structured finish. Drink in 2021.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
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.