Agree with my last note that this is drinking really well right. For my tastes, probably about at peak with plenty of time left. Deep dark fruits, nice structure, and pretty well integrated. Drink now and over the next 3+ years.
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Tor rarely disappoints. This Howell Mountain cab from Cimarrosa is no exception. The baby fat has mostly shed at this point. The tannins are fine and well integrated. The classic Howell Mountain notes of forest floor and earthiness are prevalent but not overpowering. Just a lovely wine that got better over the evening. If you have some, I encourage you to open one up. It’s singing right now.
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I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of 2011 napa cabs as they seem to lack the depth that I typically look for, but this 2011 Cimarossa was excellent! Deep fruit - dark plums, raspberry, cinnamon, and dusty/gritty tannins. I've heard that mountain Vineyards did better than the valley floor in 2011 and this bottle definitley supports that notion. Will drink my last bottle over the next 3 to 5 years.
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One off ($99.99) from the big box wine store several years ago. Opened with 1 oz pour, then 90+ minutes of undecanted air. On the nose and palate, ripe black, mul and huckleberries, black cherries, plums and cassis, with wet earth, spice, florals and hints of tobacco and anise. Dark blackish purple, medium++ bodied, thick legs. Powerfully tannic, medium+ acidity, no heat. Medium++ complexity, medium+ intensity, fantastic persistence. My first Tor, bought after reading some excellent pro reviews (not good on CT at the time), but had buyer's remorse after tasting so many disappointing '11s. So I approached this with a bit of dread, but it absolutely blew away my expectations in every way. A wine of huge elements, the formidable tannins became silky, and the acidity made this a magic match with a veal chop and grilled veggies. Great cross between modern Napa and more Bordeaux-inflected cabs, with perfect balance between sweet and savory notes and structure to burn. This wine is energetic and crazy young, at the beginning of what should be a long, exceptional drinking window. Many of my CT friends have more nuanced views of particular bottlings and vintages than I do, but based on this wine and some of the more thoughtful analyses I'm reading lately, 2011 may not be a total trainwreck, and to the extent it isn't, it's the mountain wineries/vineyards that may make that year, if not a smashing success, at least not something you need to use, and use only reluctantly, for cooking. Very much of a peer wine for recent Maybachs, the Hartwell Estate and Barnett Rattler. 96+
Excellent bottle of wine. Fruit forward, smooth tannins, 30 second finish. Dark red color, full bodied and better than I expected for 2011 vintage. More fragrant floral notes - light rose petals - and really enjoyable.
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Loving this wine! Dark fruit, cedar nose. Fruit forward, smooth, full bodied, nice finish. Popped and poured-- got better over time. Drink with or without food. All around very enjoyable!
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I have liked this in the past but on this occasion it just wasn't firing on all cylinders. Enjoyed the nose the most but once drinking it had some heat that I just couldn't get past.
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Really nice wine still in need of decanting. Oak tannins in particular evolve Throughout the air time. My prior notes are mostly intact, but the fruit is so much more subdued and rounded. Fruit tenants are also more integrated, and the wine was drinking after just an hour in the decanter. Biggest development was the vanilla flavors and oak tannins.
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After a 45 minute decant the wine seemed past its peak, overly dry with notes of tea. A second glass after another 45 minutes was much more round with considerable fruit and nice secondary notes.
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This was awesome....especially for a 2011 cab (I'm generally not a fan). Incredibly complex mouthful of red and blue fruits, cassis, and nutmeg with a long, mouth watering finish. Drank this with a buddy who is not really into wine at all, and he literally raved about what he called 'layers of flavors'. Couldn't have said it better myself . Drink or hold for 5+ years.
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Drank garnet hue. Nose was dark fruit, oak, baking spice, slight alcohol. Leather, very smooth, full bodied, luscious. Drank with food so finish less obvious.
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Opened this after a 2008 Tor Bekstoffer To Kalon, and the comparison was like a high school swimmer standing next to his varsity football player star brother. The kid was pretty good (especially for the vintage) but doesn't have his brother's muscles (or charisma).
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This wine needs time. We decanted and drank over 7 hours. In hours five the wine was popping. A 2011 from Napa? I wouldn't have guessed it. To be fair, this is Howell Mountain, so fog wasn't an issue. Picking was an issue, and I don't know when this wine was picked, but there is no evidence of low weight or spoilt fruit. This wine is beautiful ripe berries, clearly small and tight berries from a cooler year, so I'm guessing they picked early.
A really excellent wine in general. Exceptional for the vintage, and a good QPR to boot.
With a little more time, I think this wine will score a point higher for me. Fortunately this was the first bottle of six, so I'm really interested to see how this develops.
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Similar notes as I have recently posted. This time a distint background sweetness of strawberry, cherry and prune. I am putting the remaining bottles away for a few years.
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it has a spicy note to start and then smoothed out after about 1 hour. Lighter than I would have expected. Not the depth of the 2010. Haven't yet had the 12's.
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I overlooked this bottle this weekend when I opened the other TOR wines. This is an excellent very characteristic Howell Mt Cab, very broad-shouldered with dark fruit and a hint of cedar on the nose. It's a very full, fruit forward wine. The fruit punches forth, running about the pallet like a teenage boy in a video store. The tannins are really subdued and don't really assert. The finish is surprising long (given the lack of assertive tannins)... full fruit all the time. A great Howell Mtn Cab that is a bit softer than Cimarossa or a bit less structured than O'Shaughnessy (and if you don't know these Howell Mtn wines you should fix that tomorrow).
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Somewhat unfair to judge at this point given its youth. color is deep and opaque but that's what I'd expect at this age. Nose is primarily black and blue fruit with little else coaxing out of the glass. In the mouth it is a continuation of the dark fruits but surprisingly not as tannic as I was expecting. This does seem like it has some baby fat on it. I wanted to pop one to check in and while this is enjoyable, I will wait a couple of years before trying another. This seems like there is more to be found with patience.
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1/12/2022 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Agree with my last note that this is drinking really well right. For my tastes, probably about at peak with plenty of time left. Deep dark fruits, nice structure, and pretty well integrated. Drink now and over the next 3+ years.
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7/28/2021 - Rbtrage wrote: 92 Points
Excellent for 2011. Medium body and tastes like a good Bordeaux to me than 100% cab. It would pair well with some cheese and cold cuts.
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3/19/2021 - TRock3000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tor rarely disappoints. This Howell Mountain cab from Cimarrosa is no exception. The baby fat has mostly shed at this point. The tannins are fine and well integrated. The classic Howell Mountain notes of forest floor and earthiness are prevalent but not overpowering. Just a lovely wine that got better over the evening. If you have some, I encourage you to open one up. It’s singing right now.
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3/13/2021 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of 2011 napa cabs as they seem to lack the depth that I typically look for, but this 2011 Cimarossa was excellent! Deep fruit - dark plums, raspberry, cinnamon, and dusty/gritty tannins. I've heard that mountain Vineyards did better than the valley floor in 2011 and this bottle definitley supports that notion. Will drink my last bottle over the next 3 to 5 years.
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12/20/2020 - tb76 wrote: 93 Points
Been a fan of HM reds from the beginning...this one is worth seeking out and in a great spot...well made...drink now
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12/19/2020 - KarpeDiem wrote: 93 Points
I’m, yes please. Drink now
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9/20/2020 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
One off ($99.99) from the big box wine store several years ago. Opened with 1 oz pour, then 90+ minutes of undecanted air. On the nose and palate, ripe black, mul and huckleberries, black cherries, plums and cassis, with wet earth, spice, florals and hints of tobacco and anise. Dark blackish purple, medium++ bodied, thick legs. Powerfully tannic, medium+ acidity, no heat. Medium++ complexity, medium+ intensity, fantastic persistence. My first Tor, bought after reading some excellent pro reviews (not good on CT at the time), but had buyer's remorse after tasting so many disappointing '11s. So I approached this with a bit of dread, but it absolutely blew away my expectations in every way. A wine of huge elements, the formidable tannins became silky, and the acidity made this a magic match with a veal chop and grilled veggies. Great cross between modern Napa and more Bordeaux-inflected cabs, with perfect balance between sweet and savory notes and structure to burn.
This wine is energetic and crazy young, at the beginning of what should be a long, exceptional drinking window. Many of my CT friends have more nuanced views of particular bottlings and vintages than I do, but based on this wine and some of the more thoughtful analyses I'm reading lately, 2011 may not be a total trainwreck, and to the extent it isn't, it's the mountain wineries/vineyards that may make that year, if not a smashing success, at least not something you need to use, and use only reluctantly, for cooking. Very much of a peer wine for recent Maybachs, the Hartwell Estate and Barnett Rattler. 96+
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4/26/2020 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent bottle of wine. Fruit forward, smooth tannins, 30 second finish. Dark red color, full bodied and better than I expected for 2011 vintage. More fragrant floral notes - light rose petals - and really enjoyable.
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1/4/2020 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Loving this wine! Dark fruit, cedar nose. Fruit forward, smooth, full bodied, nice finish. Popped and poured-- got better over time. Drink with or without food. All around very enjoyable!
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7/22/2019 - D3S Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great bottle especially from this vintage. Nice nose, full bodied, red and blue fruit, medium to ling finish. Still has 5-7 years.
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7/29/2018 - Jbird73 wrote: 90 Points
I have liked this in the past but on this occasion it just wasn't firing on all cylinders. Enjoyed the nose the most but once drinking it had some heat that I just couldn't get past.
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7/12/2018 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really nice wine still in need of decanting. Oak tannins in particular evolve Throughout the air time. My prior notes are mostly intact, but the fruit is so much more subdued and rounded. Fruit tenants are also more integrated, and the wine was drinking after just an hour in the decanter. Biggest development was the vanilla flavors and oak tannins.
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1/20/2018 - Red Sox Fan Likes this wine: 93 Points
After a 45 minute decant the wine seemed past its peak, overly dry with notes of tea. A second glass after another 45 minutes was much more round with considerable fruit and nice secondary notes.
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11/12/2017 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was awesome....especially for a 2011 cab (I'm generally not a fan). Incredibly complex mouthful of red and blue fruits, cassis, and nutmeg with a long, mouth watering finish. Drank this with a buddy who is not really into wine at all, and he literally raved about what he called 'layers of flavors'. Couldn't have said it better myself . Drink or hold for 5+ years.
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3/26/2017 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank garnet hue. Nose was dark fruit, oak, baking spice, slight alcohol. Leather, very smooth, full bodied, luscious. Drank with food so finish less obvious.
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2/19/2017 - Red Sox Fan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened this after a 2008 Tor Bekstoffer To Kalon, and the comparison was like a high school swimmer standing next to his varsity football player star brother. The kid was pretty good (especially for the vintage) but doesn't have his brother's muscles (or charisma).
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12/29/2016 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine needs time. We decanted and drank over 7 hours. In hours five the wine was popping. A 2011 from Napa? I wouldn't have guessed it. To be fair, this is Howell Mountain, so fog wasn't an issue. Picking was an issue, and I don't know when this wine was picked, but there is no evidence of low weight or spoilt fruit. This wine is beautiful ripe berries, clearly small and tight berries from a cooler year, so I'm guessing they picked early.
A really excellent wine in general. Exceptional for the vintage, and a good QPR to boot.
With a little more time, I think this wine will score a point higher for me. Fortunately this was the first bottle of six, so I'm really interested to see how this develops.
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12/17/2015 - tomoem Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar notes as I have recently posted. This time a distint background sweetness of strawberry, cherry and prune. I am putting the remaining bottles away for a few years.
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6/5/2015 - tomoem Likes this wine: 93 Points
it has a spicy note to start and then smoothed out after about 1 hour. Lighter than I would have expected. Not the depth of the 2010. Haven't yet had the 12's.
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11/21/2014 - Hoffer Likes this wine: 94 Points
I overlooked this bottle this weekend when I opened the other TOR wines. This is an excellent very characteristic Howell Mt Cab, very broad-shouldered with dark fruit and a hint of cedar on the nose. It's a very full, fruit forward wine. The fruit punches forth, running about the pallet like a teenage boy in a video store. The tannins are really subdued and don't really assert. The finish is surprising long (given the lack of assertive tannins)... full fruit all the time. A great Howell Mtn Cab that is a bit softer than Cimarossa or a bit less structured than O'Shaughnessy (and if you don't know these Howell Mtn wines you should fix that tomorrow).
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9/5/2014 - Jbird73 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Somewhat unfair to judge at this point given its youth. color is deep and opaque but that's what I'd expect at this age. Nose is primarily black and blue fruit with little else coaxing out of the glass. In the mouth it is a continuation of the dark fruits but surprisingly not as tannic as I was expecting. This does seem like it has some baby fat on it. I wanted to pop one to check in and while this is enjoyable, I will wait a couple of years before trying another. This seems like there is more to be found with patience.
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