Perfect cork, light bricking, quite a bit of sediment. Decanted and drank over 2 hours, definitely improved with more time. Pretty awesome Napa cab. Dark red fruits, intense complexity and structure. Tannins are soft and well-integrated. Polished and classy. Delicious now but I’d say this has 5-7 years left.
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A stunning wine! Similar to the Cade Napa Valley 2010 (see notes) but more defined. Nez complexe de fruits noirs, de barrique, d'épices, de cacao...de sapin et résine. Saveur mentholée au cèdre ! Bien équilibré, complexe, texturé. Persistance aromatique intense incroyable ! Merveilleux ! Parfait et d'ici 1-2 ans. 96+
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Had at Ocean Reef Clubhouse Prime. Immieate nose of asphalt some sulpher and crushed berry. Flavors are so restrained but discoverable. They include blackberry, lead shavings and dried black olive. Absolutely lovely wine which could probably benefit from another 3-5 years
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Splash decanted, med. ruby, dark fruit, mod. tannins, med. finish; very good, still young, but not sure how much it will improve. Purchased at a benefit auction
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The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis) and oak. It tastes like blackberry, plum, espresso and light toast. The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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Definitely at a closed stage currently. Dark fruit, graphite, and pencil shavings, but needs a few years to recover the intensity lurking just beneath the surface
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Brief Vinturi to the glass; wonderful! Full-bodied dark fruit courts the palate with hints of cocoa and black currant enhanced by a still-developing floral presence. Black pepper, wet leather and faint pencil shavings on the nose...a wonderful effort. Last TN said I can't wait to see this at the decade mark, but I'm afraid these will be gone by then, as I intentionally purchased these to keep me from opening up my Estate reserve & I am drinking these young. 92+
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This is now more closed than it was in prior tastings. Decanted 2 hours and was still rather tannic on the entry and finish. The fruit is more subdued and hidden with the barrels showing more on the palate. Still fantastic and will only get better from here, I presume.
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Three-hour Vinturi double decant to open this youthful bottle as fully as I could; wonderful, but more cellar time will only enhance this Howell Mountain beauty (tannins still pretty firm)! Full-bodied dark fruit courts the palate with hints of cocoa and black currant enhanced by a still-developing floral presence lurking in the background. Black pepper, wet leather and light pencil shavings on the nose... A wonderful effort. 92+ Fifteen months since last try & I can't wait to see this at the decade mark and beyond!
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Very dark, very brooding, very awesome. Drank next to a 2009 Clos Du Val Stags Leap and the CADE simply embarrassed the Stags fruit. Both were decanted for two hours. CADE was more masculine to the very feminine Clos and continued that way throughout the night.
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This is a full body concentrated effort in a superb vintage. Bouquet is effusive and typical of Howell, with lots of dark fruits, leather, graphite, and gentle spices. Palate is fresh with vibrant acidity again common for Howell, however the body did not have enough density and delineation to surpass the acidity and tannin levels. This is an excellent wine and very food friendly, it just needed a push to be great, especially at its price range.
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Good, young, took quite a while to open up. Drank alongside 2010 O'shaughnessy Howell Cab for comparison. Cade just a couple points below O'Shaughnessy, but the gap could shrink over the next 3-5 years.
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93+ Points. Tasted at "Taste of Howell Mountain" event. Aerated unknown period of time.
Dark fruits and grilled meat on the nose. On the palate, black plum and black currants are followed by chocolate, scorched earth, cedar and purple flowers. Expressive and generous, but firmly seated with plenty of structure and fine-grained tannin. The alcohol pokes through in the finish, but overall this is modern and largely scaled without being too loosely knit.
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Decanted 2 hours A bit of alcohol on the nose. Black currant, hints of plum, bruised apple on the nose. Black berry, a bit of sour blueberry skins. High acid, light body. A little bitter but tasty.
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Decanted two hours before drinking. Scarlet in color. Medium body. Fairly smooth for a such a young wine. Huge mouthfeel, and very alcoholic in the mouth and nose. Great legs on the glass. Sour blueberry on the front, black cherry on the end, and heat throughout.
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Very iconic nose for a Napa Valley wine. Good balance and structure, not overly sweet, yet remarkably, it hides the 14.9% alcohol quite well. This wine is likely to have good aging promise. Three years should do it some justice.
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Howell Mountain Spring Wine Tasting. Nose of black cherry, black currants, cassis and black pepper, more of the same on he palate, lovely wine to taste, mouth filling fruit, big body, soft tannins and a long, long finish. At $80 a buy.
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(LCBO Tasting Bar Sample) The first thing that slaps you in the face on this wine is some extremely high quality toasted french oak yielding a strong impression of fresh ground espresso. Beyond this, on the nose: dark cherries, dark plums, pencil shavings, graphite, christmas cake, and perhaps just the slightest hint of farmyard stink. Palate shows lush fruit, a quite a load of sweet ripe tannin, and relatively decent acid. Quite high quality all in all, if perhaps a tad oak driven. Not unlike a modern St. Emilion on the nose (Pavie, Monbousquet), though the palate has firmer tannic structure. 92 and quite near to 93 points even for my euro-centric palate.
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Four hour double-Vinturi decant to really give this a chance to shine. Cocoa and currants with a developing floral component still hiding in the background. I started out buying this to keep me from sampling their Estate too early, but it is virtuous in its own right, for sure. Wonderful, and the decant made a real difference...
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Napa Wines With John Conover (Civil Cigar Lounge - Washington, DC): Similar to the 2010 Napa Valley blend, but a bit deeper, showing a bit more fight and grip. Fine tannins, crisp acid, lovely complexity of flavors: black and red currants. Notes of violets, cola, mocha, cedar, vanilla and hot campfire coals. Complex, so full yet pure and easy to drink. A simply gorgeous Howell Mountain Cab. 100% Cab aged 18 months in 80% new French oak. This deserves some cellar contemplation.
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Lovely Howell Mountain terroir shines beautifully, but needs a lot of air if you don't have the patience to let this sleep for a few years in the cellar.
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Big fat Napa Cab. Very young and will reach potential with time in the bottle. Tight and complex. Large flavors of Howell Mt. Fruit. This wine will rock in about 2-5 years.
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9/6/2020 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid Napa cab. Needs a couple hours of air time to reach its prime.
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3/19/2020 - Magnolian Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfect cork, light bricking, quite a bit of sediment. Decanted and drank over 2 hours, definitely improved with more time. Pretty awesome Napa cab. Dark red fruits, intense complexity and structure. Tannins are soft and well-integrated. Polished and classy. Delicious now but I’d say this has 5-7 years left.
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1/30/2020 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 96 Points
A stunning wine! Similar to the Cade Napa Valley 2010 (see notes) but more defined.
Nez complexe de fruits noirs, de barrique, d'épices, de cacao...de sapin et résine. Saveur mentholée au cèdre ! Bien équilibré, complexe, texturé. Persistance aromatique intense incroyable ! Merveilleux ! Parfait et d'ici 1-2 ans. 96+
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3/22/2019 - wetlandwino wrote: 93 Points
Wine is drinking beautifully now. Decanted for 2 hours before pairing with a great rib eye steak. Wine may still develop over the next couple years.
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3/21/2018 - bluerhino wrote: 93 Points
Excellent. Loved the finish which seems completely different from the initial taste.
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2/10/2018 - tomoem Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had at Ocean Reef Clubhouse Prime. Immieate nose of asphalt some sulpher and crushed berry. Flavors are so restrained but discoverable. They include blackberry, lead shavings and dried black olive. Absolutely lovely wine which could probably benefit from another 3-5 years
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1/1/2018 - Culrich20 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted and allowed to air for an hour. Full of flavor with a nice finish. Has aged nicely and will still be a great wine in the future.
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11/9/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Splash decanted, med. ruby, dark fruit, mod. tannins, med. finish; very good, still young, but not sure how much it will improve. Purchased at a benefit auction
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10/9/2016 - Twopawsup Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis) and oak. It tastes like blackberry, plum, espresso and light toast. The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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7/8/2016 - dogwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is delicious now. Can't imagine what it will be in a few years.
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2/5/2016 - willschenk wrote: 90 Points
Definitely at a closed stage currently. Dark fruit, graphite, and pencil shavings, but needs a few years to recover the intensity lurking just beneath the surface
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12/25/2015 - Moms cellar wrote:
Farm napa christmas eve
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11/18/2015 - robertdtwo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brief Vinturi to the glass; wonderful! Full-bodied dark fruit courts the palate with hints of cocoa and black currant enhanced by a still-developing floral presence. Black pepper, wet leather and faint pencil shavings on the nose...a wonderful effort. Last TN said I can't wait to see this at the decade mark, but I'm afraid these will be gone by then, as I intentionally purchased these to keep me from opening up my Estate reserve & I am drinking these young. 92+
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10/12/2015 - Mech-E Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is now more closed than it was in prior tastings. Decanted 2 hours and was still rather tannic on the entry and finish. The fruit is more subdued and hidden with the barrels showing more on the palate. Still fantastic and will only get better from here, I presume.
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9/19/2015 - Redgold wrote: 93 Points
SW in Vegas
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8/1/2015 - RonT wrote: 92 Points
A dark brooding wine with a lot of life left in it. Graphite, earthy and cassis finish nicely.
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5/7/2015 - robertdtwo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Three-hour Vinturi double decant to open this youthful bottle as fully as I could; wonderful, but more cellar time will only enhance this Howell Mountain beauty (tannins still pretty firm)! Full-bodied dark fruit courts the palate with hints of cocoa and black currant enhanced by a still-developing floral presence lurking in the background. Black pepper, wet leather and light pencil shavings on the nose... A wonderful effort. 92+ Fifteen months since last try & I can't wait to see this at the decade mark and beyond!
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1/9/2015 - GTFreek wrote:
Just a taste, seemed pretty typical of Napa cab, nice layers though not sure it had the complexity I envisioned. Big wine though.
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12/23/2014 - Mech-E Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very dark, very brooding, very awesome. Drank next to a 2009 Clos Du Val Stags Leap and the CADE simply embarrassed the Stags fruit. Both were decanted for two hours. CADE was more masculine to the very feminine Clos and continued that way throughout the night.
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10/26/2014 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
US Cabernet/Blends and Bordeaux Tasting (Knightsbridge): Cassis and pepper, barrel spice and licorice notes. Firm but sweet tannins, with flavors of cassis, licorice and black fruits. Well-balanced.
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10/24/2014 - farinas Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a full body concentrated effort in a superb vintage. Bouquet is effusive and typical of Howell, with lots of dark fruits, leather, graphite, and gentle spices. Palate is fresh with vibrant acidity again common for Howell, however the body did not have enough density and delineation to surpass the acidity and tannin levels. This is an excellent wine and very food friendly, it just needed a push to be great, especially at its price range.
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7/20/2014 - BinVA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good, young, took quite a while to open up. Drank alongside 2010 O'shaughnessy Howell Cab for comparison. Cade just a couple points below O'Shaughnessy, but the gap could shrink over the next 3-5 years.
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6/27/2014 - TSBWine Likes this wine: 93 Points
93+ Points. Tasted at "Taste of Howell Mountain" event. Aerated unknown period of time.
Dark fruits and grilled meat on the nose. On the palate, black plum and black currants are followed by chocolate, scorched earth, cedar and purple flowers. Expressive and generous, but firmly seated with plenty of structure and fine-grained tannin. The alcohol pokes through in the finish, but overall this is modern and largely scaled without being too loosely knit.
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5/11/2014 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted 2 hours
A bit of alcohol on the nose. Black currant, hints of plum, bruised apple on the nose. Black berry, a bit of sour blueberry skins. High acid, light body. A little bitter but tasty.
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5/11/2014 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted two hours before drinking. Scarlet in color. Medium body. Fairly smooth for a such a young wine. Huge mouthfeel, and very alcoholic in the mouth and nose. Great legs on the glass. Sour blueberry on the front, black cherry on the end, and heat throughout.
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4/26/2014 - LantzSharpe wrote:
Mom 70 birthday
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4/14/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote: 93 Points
Very iconic nose for a Napa Valley wine. Good balance and structure, not overly sweet, yet remarkably, it hides the 14.9% alcohol quite well. This wine is likely to have good aging promise. Three years should do it some justice.
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4/7/2014 - LantzSharpe wrote:
Dr brown house
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3/27/2014 - srwatters wrote: 93 Points
Super deal at Greystone. Lone bottle sold at $78. Fine tannins, great fruit, good acidity, just an all around great mountain cab.
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3/19/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Howell Mountain Spring Wine Tasting. Nose of black cherry, black currants, cassis and black pepper, more of the same on he palate, lovely wine to taste, mouth filling fruit, big body, soft tannins and a long, long finish. At $80 a buy.
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3/15/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
(LCBO Tasting Bar Sample) The first thing that slaps you in the face on this wine is some extremely high quality toasted french oak yielding a strong impression of fresh ground espresso. Beyond this, on the nose: dark cherries, dark plums, pencil shavings, graphite, christmas cake, and perhaps just the slightest hint of farmyard stink. Palate shows lush fruit, a quite a load of sweet ripe tannin, and relatively decent acid. Quite high quality all in all, if perhaps a tad oak driven. Not unlike a modern St. Emilion on the nose (Pavie, Monbousquet), though the palate has firmer tannic structure. 92 and quite near to 93 points even for my euro-centric palate.
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1/30/2014 - robertdtwo wrote: 92 Points
Four hour double-Vinturi decant to really give this a chance to shine. Cocoa and currants with a developing floral component still hiding in the background. I started out buying this to keep me from sampling their Estate too early, but it is virtuous in its own right, for sure. Wonderful, and the decant made a real difference...
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1/16/2014 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 93 Points
Napa Wines With John Conover (Civil Cigar Lounge - Washington, DC): Similar to the 2010 Napa Valley blend, but a bit deeper, showing a bit more fight and grip. Fine tannins, crisp acid, lovely complexity of flavors: black and red currants. Notes of violets, cola, mocha, cedar, vanilla and hot campfire coals. Complex, so full yet pure and easy to drink. A simply gorgeous Howell Mountain Cab. 100% Cab aged 18 months in 80% new French oak. This deserves some cellar contemplation.
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1/15/2014 - robertdtwo wrote: 91 Points
Lovely Howell Mountain terroir shines beautifully, but needs a lot of air if you don't have the patience to let this sleep for a few years in the cellar.
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1/2/2014 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank this wine at Bottega restaurant in Yauntville. Really enjoyed it. Lots of fruit, mellow tannins, nicely balanced.
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12/1/2013 - Bgrahamdc wrote: 93 Points
Big fat Napa Cab. Very young and will reach potential with time in the bottle. Tight and complex. Large flavors of Howell Mt. Fruit. This wine will rock in about 2-5 years.
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