Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From a site Chris calls their closest to Bordeaux, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain flirts with perfection and tastes like the essence of this cooler mountain terroir. Blueberries, cassis, plums, menthol, and violet notes all emerge from this full-bodied, elegant, yet incredibly sexy, seamless 2015 that has fine, fine tannin, and a finish that won’t quit. With both mouthfilling power and richness as well as elegance and finesse, it’s an incredible wine that could come from nowhere else. Drink it anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain gives up wonderfully expressive crème de cassis, licorice, tar and underbrush notes with hints of charcuterie and bay leaves. Big, rich, full and opulent in the mouth, it has firm, velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with spice nuances coming through. 538 cases produced.
Rating: 98+ -
Wine Spectator
This packs a wallop of blueberry, açaí and blackberry compote flavors at the core, backed by juicy energy that seemingly won’t quit, as waves of anise, bramble and sweet tobacco course through on the finish. Solidly built, with energy and vibrancy to match the density and muscle. Best from 2022 through 2040.
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.