Winemaker Notes
Cedarman is a proprietary blend of fruit from both Rattlesnake Ridge and Dragon Vineyards. Although primarily Zinfandel, they use a small amount of Petite Syrah from the Rattlesnake vineyard as well. The result is a truly powerful, dense and wild wine, long on flavor.
Deeply fragrant dark purple fruits, ground Provençal herbs, and lavender abound on the nose. The significantly lower crop on Howell Mountain in 2016 (they have only 1/3 the Cedarman they had last year) makes for a great deal more concentration in the fruit, evident in the strong, ripe, brambly berry and savory spice flavors. With its signature Howell Mountain texture, tannin, and long finish, the Cedarman is an ideal
cold weather wine. Decant it to enjoy the wine’s evolution over the course of an evening.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Zinfandel Cedarman Vineyard (which contains around 20% Petite Sirah) reveals a pure, fruit-driven bouquet of ripe cherries and cassis. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and chunky, with a fleshy core of fruit that only partially conceals the firm, chewy mountain tannins that assert themselves on the long finish.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
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.