2011 Las Posadas

The 2011 Howell Mountain is nearly as thrilling from bottle as it was from barrel. Blackberry jam, grilled herbs, mocha, espresso, violets and savory herbs are laced together in an exotic tapestry of aromas, flavors and textures. Intense, wild and powerful throughout, the Howell Mountain shows just how strong 2011 was in a handful of very select spots where farming was diligent. What a fabulous wine this is.

The 2011 Proprietary Red Howell Mountain exhibits good red and black fruit, roasted meat, sweet forest floor and wet gravel characteristics, undeniable minerality, medium to full body and beautiful ripeness, purity and depth. Although it is the least concentrated of Abreu’s 2011s, it is still a big wine as well as one of the vintage’s most successful efforts. Drink it over the next decade.

Another utterly dazzling wine, the 2011 Howell Mountain shows just how fabulous this vintage was in certain spots. Savory herbs, graphite, minerals, crushed rocks and masses of dark fruit saturate the palate in a stunning display of pure class. Waves of blue, purple and black fruit contine to develop as the wine opens up. This is another magical, spellbinding wine from David Abreu and Brad Grimes. I look forward to tasting the 2010 and 2011 together for years to come. In 2011, the blend is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Malbec.