96+ pts Jeb Dunnuck
From a higher elevation site on this great Mountain terroir in the northeastern part of the valley, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is classic Howell Mountain with a closed, reductive, tight, and unyielding style that blossoms with time in the glass. Black and blue fruits, scorched earth, chalky minerality, violets, and brambly herbs define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mouthfeel, and serious amounts of tannin that will require 4-5 years to chill out. Nevertheless, it’s another beautiful, balanced, incredibly impressive wine from this lineup that readers will love. Hide bottles for at least 4-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

CÉPAGE:100% Cabernet Sauvignon

CLONE: 169

TERROIR: Rocky soils high on Howell Mountain

OAK: Aged 20 months in 70% new French oak barrels (Taransaud, Ermitage, Sylvain,
Bel Aire, and Demptos)

ABV: 15.2%

Tasting Notes: 
Purple-black that fades to a crimson rim, deeply pigmented and staining
the glass upon swirling. After a touch of air, a volley of warm blackberries,
Chambord, graphite, and a hint of cedar aromas add complex blueberry,
sweet spice, pipe tobacco, dark chocolate, and espresso notes.
Even before the first sip, it’s obvious this is a big wine. Power and energy
pulse through the supple grip of the super-fine tannins, with a core so
concentrated it seems to generate its own gravity. Lush flavors of blackberry
and pomegranate preserves form the weft for a tapestry of chocolate,
tilled earth, toast, vanilla, star anise, five-spice, and crushed violets. Finishing
with evolving patterns of ripe fruit, spice, and earth, it seems endless.
A gorgeous expression of Howell Mountain muscularity and richness, but
still defined by an overall sophistication and balance. There is so much
packed into this wine, and it’s perfectly structured to improve for decades.
Drink now – 2049.