Ready to go right away (no decant). Mellowed tannins went great with steaks & lamb. Did get a little better as the night progressed so it still has life left. Unfortunately, it was my last one so I won't find out for sure.
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Scottwhipp is right on. This is an excellent aged H Mtn wine. I recommend drinking soon as the tannins have REALLY softened. Not sure if it would last 5 more years but others disagree.
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Perfectly aged, as tannins have softened and integrated. Full bodied, inky dark purple color, supple mouthfeel with flavors of ripe blackberry and black cherry, vanilla, violets, pencil lead and subtle tobacco notes. Mild tannins on a lengthy finish. Excellent.
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88% Cab/12% Merlot. Rich and full bodied right now at 9 years of age. Black cherry, blackberry, and dark currant up front. Notes of violets, graphite, vanilla, subtle tobacco, and toasty oak. Nice balance with firm acidity, supple tannins, and beautiful long finish. So good right now but no doubt this will easily go another decade.
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The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), blackberry, blueberry, cherry, vanilla, violet and tobacco. It tastes like blackberry, blueberry, red currant, cherry, vanilla, oak and violet. The body is full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity. Rich and layered wine.
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One-hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. No sediment. Wine gave off a muted nose of black fruit compote during decant. After resting, and in the glass: wine was clear; translucent crimson with no bricking and a moderate clear halo. Initially nose was blueberry pie, with the pie crust aromas in the fore supported by the fruit and some flowers. After about 50 minutes into consumption, the fruit and pie crust swapped places in the nose. In the mouth: black cherries, currants and a hint of vanilla on a long finish. While the wine was very good, I got the feeling I jumped the gun on this one and that the wine has not approached its peak. I will leave my other bottles alone for a couple of years.
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Enjoyed this with a Filet Mignon at steakhouse. Was absolutely ready to drink, although has plenary of life left if you choose to lay down for a while. As usual Howell Mtn didn’t disappoint
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Opened and decanted and drank with a nicely prepared meal. This was drinking very well despite its young age. We’d had a glass from the bottle via Coravin prob 2 months ago and since then it’s been resting. A more balanced and subtle style of wine. Still has the fruits but less intense. Slightly earthy. Good wine.
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Nose of black berry, briar, black cherry, and spring flowers, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, still youthful, mouth filling fruit, great with roasted chicken and mushrooms, easily cellar another 8 years or enjoy over 3 nights like I do, always at its best the second and third nights, long, flavorful finish, photo uploaded.
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Nose of black berry, black cherry and spring flowers, same on the palate, big body, fruit forward, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, showing well tonight, elegant, and a lovely, long finish and pleasant aftertaste. Photo of bottle, cork and wine glass uploaded.
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Nose of black berry, earth, black cherry and spring flowes, same on the palatr, big body, fairly fruit forward, very tasty, and a long, long finish. Photo uploaded.
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I thought this might be too early....opened about 3 hours before dinner....not decanted....while the nose was unremarkable....on the palate it was a beautiful combination of blue fruit and spice with a body that wasn’t overbearing. So good.
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Nose of black berry, black cherry, dry forest floor, and spring flowers, on the palate, big body, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, at peak drinking window, paired with cheddar cheese meat loaf, delicious, tannins fully resolved, almost elegant, and a long, long finish, photo uploaded.
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Decanted for an hour. Blackberry, mocha, damp tobacco, cherries jubilee, spearmint and adobe clay. Tannins of velvet and a robust middle palate. The core of fruit is both juicy and tantalizing. There’s a touch of toasty oak. Adorable now, in a couple of years this goddess will be even more developed and approachable. Watch this age for many, many years. Drink 2021 -.
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Tasted this wine blind at an excellent horizontal showcasing Cabernet from the 2014 vintage from Napa Valley and beyond hosted by Enologix. Line up: Shafer One Point Five, Pahlmeyer Napa Valley, Lewis Cellars Reserve, Robert Craig Howell Mountain, Hill Family Estate Atlas Peak, Hess Collection Estate Grown Mount Veeder, Hanna Red Ranch Alexander Valley, J. Lohr Signature Paso Robles, Stone Edge Farm Estate Sonoma Valley, Cade Estate Howell Mountain, Chappellet Pritchard Hill, Pine Ridge Napa Valley, Schrader RBS To Kalon, Frog’s Leap Rutherford.
Tied for 8th of 14 for the tasting.
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This richly concentrated, opaque crimson bruiser is blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Loaded with blackberries, boysenberries, dark chocolate, licorice, tobacco, graphite and lavender, it has fresh acidity and throws no alcoholic heat (14.9%) when served at 60-65°F. Woven with toasty oak and massive chewy tannins, the flavors stay solid in the middle and throughout the lengthy back end. Undeniably outstanding, this mountain Cab will require some hibernation. Drink 2022-2040.
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1/20/2024 - LCHammer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ready to go right away (no decant). Mellowed tannins went great with steaks & lamb. Did get a little better as the night progressed so it still has life left. Unfortunately, it was my last one so I won't find out for sure.
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11/20/2023 - LCHammer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Scottwhipp is right on. This is an excellent aged H Mtn wine. I recommend drinking soon as the tannins have REALLY softened. Not sure if it would last 5 more years but others disagree.
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1/20/2023 - Scottwhipp Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfectly aged, as tannins have softened and integrated. Full bodied, inky dark purple color, supple mouthfeel with flavors of ripe blackberry and black cherry, vanilla, violets, pencil lead and subtle tobacco notes. Mild tannins on a lengthy finish. Excellent.
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1/10/2023 - brianofthevine Likes this wine: 93 Points
88% Cab/12% Merlot. Rich and full bodied right now at 9 years of age. Black cherry, blackberry, and dark currant up front. Notes of violets, graphite, vanilla, subtle tobacco, and toasty oak. Nice balance with firm acidity, supple tannins, and beautiful long finish. So good right now but no doubt this will easily go another decade.
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1/4/2022 - PierreBrusso Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), blackberry, blueberry, cherry, vanilla, violet and tobacco. It tastes like blackberry, blueberry, red currant, cherry, vanilla, oak and violet. The body is full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity. Rich and layered wine.
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12/19/2021 - sdonahue Likes this wine:
really has aged nicely
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12/1/2021 - OenophilistMN Likes this wine: 90 Points
One-hour decant through a screened and aerating funnel. No sediment. Wine gave off a muted nose of black fruit compote during decant. After resting, and in the glass: wine was clear; translucent crimson with no bricking and a moderate clear halo. Initially nose was blueberry pie, with the pie crust aromas in the fore supported by the fruit and some flowers. After about 50 minutes into consumption, the fruit and pie crust swapped places in the nose. In the mouth: black cherries, currants and a hint of vanilla on a long finish. While the wine was very good, I got the feeling I jumped the gun on this one and that the wine has not approached its peak. I will leave my other bottles alone for a couple of years.
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11/20/2021 - Dinovino9 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed this with a Filet Mignon at steakhouse. Was absolutely ready to drink, although has plenary of life left if you choose to lay down for a while. As usual Howell Mtn didn’t disappoint
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10/26/2021 - flydcjets Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big and Bold on the palate, with aromas cherries and currants. Paired with a Veal Chop, and Roasted Potato/Brussel Sprouts
Cheers
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2/26/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Opened and decanted and drank with a nicely prepared meal. This was drinking very well despite its young age. We’d had a glass from the bottle via Coravin prob 2 months ago and since then it’s been resting. A more balanced and subtle style of wine. Still has the fruits but less intense. Slightly earthy. Good wine.
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1/5/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of black berry, briar, black cherry, and spring flowers, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, still youthful, mouth filling fruit, great with roasted chicken and mushrooms, easily cellar another 8 years or enjoy over 3 nights like I do, always at its best the second and third nights, long, flavorful finish, photo uploaded.
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10/20/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of black berry, black cherry and spring flowers, same on the palate, big body, fruit forward, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, showing well tonight, elegant, and a lovely, long finish and pleasant aftertaste. Photo of bottle, cork and wine glass uploaded.
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6/29/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of black berry, earth, black cherry and spring flowes, same on the palatr, big body, fairly fruit forward, very tasty, and a long, long finish. Photo uploaded.
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6/27/2020 - RPRB23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I thought this might be too early....opened about 3 hours before dinner....not decanted....while the nose was unremarkable....on the palate it was a beautiful combination of blue fruit and spice with a body that wasn’t overbearing. So good.
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5/10/2020 - T & B wrote:
Still great
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5/4/2020 - AAJR Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP'd - ready to go. Abundant flavors of dark Howell Mtn fruit (blackberries). Nice length, quite enjoyable.
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5/1/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of black berry, black cherry, dry forest floor, and spring flowers, on the palate, big body, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, at peak drinking window, paired with cheddar cheese meat loaf, delicious, tannins fully resolved, almost elegant, and a long, long finish, photo uploaded.
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7/5/2018 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for an hour. Blackberry, mocha, damp tobacco, cherries jubilee, spearmint and adobe clay. Tannins of velvet and a robust middle palate. The core of fruit is both juicy and tantalizing. There’s a touch of toasty oak. Adorable now, in a couple of years this goddess will be even more developed and approachable. Watch this age for many, many years. Drink 2021 -.
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4/21/2018 - catlady Likes this wine: 93 Points
This didn't feel too young to me. Lovely soft tannins after about an hour open.
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12/14/2017 - deetz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted this wine blind at an excellent horizontal showcasing Cabernet from the 2014 vintage from Napa Valley and beyond hosted by Enologix. Line up: Shafer One Point Five, Pahlmeyer Napa Valley, Lewis Cellars Reserve, Robert Craig Howell Mountain, Hill Family Estate Atlas Peak, Hess Collection Estate Grown Mount Veeder, Hanna Red Ranch Alexander Valley, J. Lohr Signature Paso Robles, Stone Edge Farm Estate Sonoma Valley, Cade Estate Howell Mountain, Chappellet Pritchard Hill, Pine Ridge Napa Valley, Schrader RBS To Kalon, Frog’s Leap Rutherford.
Tied for 8th of 14 for the tasting.
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10/29/2017 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
This richly concentrated, opaque crimson bruiser is blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Loaded with blackberries, boysenberries, dark chocolate, licorice, tobacco, graphite and lavender, it has fresh acidity and throws no alcoholic heat (14.9%) when served at 60-65°F. Woven with toasty oak and massive chewy tannins, the flavors stay solid in the middle and throughout the lengthy back end. Undeniably outstanding, this mountain Cab will require some hibernation. Drink 2022-2040.
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