2018 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon shows its Howell Mountain terroir nicely yet still has a supple, textured, elegant style that gives it plenty of upfront appeal. Beautiful cassis and darker currants, chocolate, tobacco, and cedar pencil notes emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with present yet silky tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish, where it shows more and more tannins with time in the glass. It can be drunk today with plenty of pleasure, but smart money is on giving bottles 2-4 years of bottle age and following for 10-15.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, tightly wound wine that captures all the natural intensity of Howell Mountain. Blackberry jam, graphite, smoke ,iron and crushed rocks give this dark, massively tannic Cabernet a lot of character. Even after having been opened for several hours, the 2018 remains forbidding, with serious tannins that are going to require a good bit of cellaring before the wine becomes approachable.
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain was aged for 22 months in oak barrels, 84% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it explodes from the glass with bombastic black currants, black cherries and boysenberries notes plus underlying hints of violets, dark chocolate and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and fragrant. 3,997 cases were made.