2015 Moone-Tsai Hillside Blend
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Tasting notes
Moving to the reds, both of which are outstanding, the 2015 Howell Mountain Hillside Blend checks in as equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that spent 22 months in 50% new French oak. This beauty offers tons of spiced red and black fruits (even a hint of blue fruits) as well as loads of spice and cedar, a distinct floral quality, full body, and a seamless, elegant, yet also sexy style on the palate. It has remarkable complexity, fine tannins, and a great finish, and while it’s already drinking beautifully, I’d be shocked if it wasn’t still going strong at age 20.
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Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
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The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Blend comes across as raw and not fully formed, but, then again, it is has just been bottled. The 2015 has shown better in the past. I almost certainly caught it on a bad day.
As good, possibly even superior when it’s finally in bottle, is the 2015 Proprietary Red Hillside Blend Howell Mountain, a stunningly fragrant, rich, voluptuously textured wine with blueberry and blackberry liqueur notes intermixed with violets, subtle toast, and a full-bodied, expressive and expansive mouthfeel. Drink it over the next 20-25 years.