2011 HALL Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
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The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain comes across as super-compact and introverted, with less of the immediate appeal of the other wines in this range. Graphite, smoke, black cherries and plums all take shape in the glass, but the 2011 remains unexpressive, even with considerable aeration. Hall's Howell Mountain Cabernet, while outstanding, doesn't quite reach the level of the best wines of the appellation, one of the few areas in Napa Valley that largely excelled in 2011.
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Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain displays the finest depth of these 2011s along with splendid ripeness, a full-bodied mouthfeel, good length and a rich, textured finish with lots of blueberry, black currant and graphite characteristics. This impressive effort is another example of why Howell Mountain may have been Napa’s most successful appellation in 2011. I tasted eight cuvees of 2010 Cabernet Sauvignons from Hall. I will write abbreviated notes on the eight 2012s I tasted, which is a great vintage in Napa. Based on my experience with the Hall wines, they show better from bottle than from barrel samples, always a sign of a high quality winery. All of these wines possess splendid opaque blue/purple colors. A remarkable thing about all of Hall’s 2012s is that they should be accessible when released given the sweetness of the tannins, yet they should have 20-30-year drinking windows. Congratulations to Kathryn Hall. I have been high on her wines since I first tasted them in the offices of David Ramey. It is rewarding to see that she is realizing the enormous potential that accompanied her debut wines. Tel. (707) 967-2626