From 375, it’s been a few years since my last bottle and the wine is still very nice. Blackberry, black & dark red cherry, black & red currants, black raspberry, plum, earth, dark chocolate, touch of burnt brown sugar, still good yet integrated tannins with enough acidity to brings together. There is heat but not over the top and by no means flabby. Wines is nice and drinks over its price point.
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This is wine is excellent to drink right now. You could hold for a few more years, but why. Everything is present today. The hardest thing to do with this wine is to drink it slow. Cheers
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Solid, but not much better. There were decent darker fruit notes present here, but nothing resembling much complexity. It drank pretty easily, overall fine, but I wouldn’t acquire again.
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definitely coming into its window now. Solid aromatics of dark red and black fruits on the nose. Medium-plus body and good concentration just not the power or the complexity I'm used to from Howell Mtn Cabs.
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Oct 14 2022 - It’s a nice big wine but I felt it was over extracted - a little too tannic for almost 10 years old. Decanted for 2+ hours, dark fruit and coffee on the nose. MASSIVE wine almost 15% ABV. Drinks hot. Wish it was more complex for the price point. I have a case of these so hope it develops more over the next 5 years
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This wine has settled into something less charming - more sour cherry and spice, less body and depth - than it was four years ago (3/18 - 94+ points). I've generally found Napa 2014s to be drinking well right now, with a more settled and open-knit profile, but this just seemed more, um, simple. I suspect this is more of an awkward phase than an irreversible decline, but - whatever the reason - this wine isn't very exciting now.
Cherry red in color; medium in body; aromas of cedar chips (the kind you put in a dorm room dresser), with notes of raspberry and spice box. The flavors are similarly shallow, with notes of sour cherry, dried oregano, and peppercorn, followed by a dry and brief finish. Blend of 75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2.5% Malbec. 14.8% alcohol. Wait another year or two and hope for the best: Carpenter's wines tend to age well, so maybe this is just a bump in the road.
Drinking great. Last bottle I had was in 2019 and said wait 2-3 years. So glad I did. Dark grapes, leather, complex. Have 1 left. Enjoyed so much I googled and called the winery to get more, couldn’t find any. So I bought some of the 375ml from 2015….
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Not much the first night from the pnp.....you can tell there's good fruit there, but the oak wins out. Put the cork back in the bottle and into the fridge......2nd night, much, much better....smooth and integrated. Classic graphite and deep, dark fruit.....very well integrated and easily 3 points better than the 92 of the first night over the next 3-4 hours of air. This doesn't surprise me one bit as this is made to age and increase in depth and complexity with time. A really quality wine, that all too often gets opened years too early.......
Blueberry and pomegranate fruit on the nose. Soft tannins, leather, blackberry pie, android a medium long finish make this a really pleasing wine to drink. Pairs well with anything a solid Bapa Vab pairs with. Yum.
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Reading the other tasting notes I believe this could have used more than the one hour decant it received from me. Jammy kirsch with a lack of complexity. Maybe this improves with time or air but I am not convinced.
The words that come to mind when I drank this were purity and density. This wine is firing on all cylinders right now, with excellent balance and length. It will only improve with time. Waves of dark cherry liqueur, cassis, and slate on the nose and palate. Improved with air. Powerful without going overboard. Excellent wine.
Four hour decant. Very deep dark magenta color. Black cherry, talc, vanilla frosting, walnut, and raspberry compote on the simultaneously rich and brooding nose. Smooth, very dry palate, with good fruit and acidity. Firm tannins on the longish finish.
Double decanted and drank after 4 hours. Bold black fruit, anise and floral notes on the nose. Pronounced tannins balanced alongside black fruit - blackberry and black currant. Clove and oak tones are secondary. Long finish with refreshing minerality. Should age well and looking forward to tasting again after more years in the cellar.
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A brooding young punk still getting its act together. A bit dumb the first couple of hours decanting. Lots o potential - I’ll hold off opening anymore bottles for 3-4 years.
Enjoyed this yesterday with plain old burgers and tater tots....of all things! Great from the pnp but obviously improved, deepened became richer in the glass and on the palate an hour or two in. Wonderful dark mountain fruit, bracing acidity and a few layers of complexity. This has many years left and while it is in a good place right now, I'm sure it gets a point or two better down the road.
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Two hour decant. Nearly opaque magenta color. Crayola crayon, boysenberry, blueberry, vanilla bean and flint on the intense nose. Smooth, dry palate, with good acidity, fruit and minerality. Firm, full tannins on the medium long finish.
This was good, but still drinking a touch young and primary. An 8-12 hour decant or another two years in the cellar will boost this score. The nuts and bolts are there.
A little disappointing at the pnp.....subtle red fruit/bramble nose but overcome with a moderate alcohol component that despite swirling and trying to aerate off, seems persistent and doesn't want to leave even after an hour in the glass. Early entry the fruit and wine is thin in the mouth, like a lightweight inexpensive bright red fruit cab, but after an hour in the glass it picks up some weight and dark red/black fruit. Early on there is a slight tartness to the fruit and this wanes over time. There is a hint of anise or licorice as time goes on but nothing very strong. There is a nice line of acidity providing some backbone, but color me not too impressed for the pedigree or the price. I'll hold the rest of my '14 bottles another couple years and hope that it improves further with time. This bottle decidedly beneath one from about 6 months ago. Maybe it's heading into a little dumb phase for a while? It can't be declining this early on.......
Very young, but serious potential here. Decanted for 30 minutes and drank over the next two hours. Nose is awesome. Really hitting its stride after two hours. Should have started drinking at two hours. My bottle is a 375mL. Have one bottle left; will let it sit for at LEAST five more years. I predict much better score down the road...
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This will be great in 2-3 years. Deep dark color. Taste of black licorice, toasted cedar and some soft spice. Hour 3 softened the tannins and brought a little sweetness out.
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Wonderful mountain fruit with plenty of character right from the pop n' pour. Classic cab flavors. Primarily red but some black/blue fruit, perfect tannins and a modicum of wood. The oak really gives the wine a bit of a rustic flavor. This is a very nice Cali cab! Plenty of years left ahead for this beauty!
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Popped and poured through a powered aerator. Deep opaque purple in color. Prominent nose nose of black cherry, blackberries, pine and graphite. Tastes is similar but with notes of pepper and cedar. Full body and nice balance of tannins and acidity. Blend of 75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2.5% Malbec.
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Big supple black and blue fruit on this one. Tannins actually came out after a 1 hour decant. You could definitely enjoy this now with steak. Will be better in 5 years but enjoyable now. No finesse. Just big fruit and great flavor.
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As expected this has firm and tightly structured mountain fruit, definitely not from the valley floor. Good density, intensity and focus. Two days to finish. Good relative value.
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Decisively the best wine tasted side by side with 6 of the top wines made by the Jackson family in California. Superbly structured by firm acidity and tannin, richly fruity, complex, deep, layered, mouth coating, and powerfully concentrated. Like 20 pounds of potatoes in a 10 pound sack. All the stuffing needed for decades of improvement to become completely seamless, caressingly smooth, and delightfully satisfying.
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My wine of the night at a tasting of 34 Napa Cabernet Sauvignons, and yes, I tasted every single one and went back and retasted my top 10. Napa is rightly famous for wines that are fruity, lush, rich, and drinkable on release. What distinguishes this wine is powerful concentration, firm acid and tannin structure, and ageworthy ability to get even greater with 10 to 20 years of bottle age.
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Decanted 2 hours and in the bottle for a few more. Exposed oak and a touch of heat but otherwise killer. Palate is dominated by sweet blue/black fruit, vanilla shortbread, and mixed liqueurs. Excellent concentration but slightly muddled/roasted next to the 15 Realm Crane. Nonetheless held its own but needs 3-4 more years to integrate and tannins to mellow.
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Nose: Soft, mellow blueberries, a slight scent of oak, rather closed.
Palate: Soft and round, smooth, slight spice, dark fruits, soft oak, medium-full bodied. Low acidity, medium tannin, medium finish.
Enjoyable. When opened, the aromas seem closed and the flavors also seem a little closed. Letting it sit in the glass for an hour didn't seem to open this up much more. Little bit of vegetal flavors came out some more and some spice. The oak taste is enjoyable here.
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I think this wine is too young to appreciate its richness and breadth. While we enjoyed the layers and depth, we also noted that the fruit and "sweetness" have not matured. I would not hesitate to drink this with certain foods, particularly marbled read meats, it needs time to become fuller and more robust. Nonetheless, Howell Mountain has produced another fine vintage - subtle sweetness, layered fruits and an acidic quality that finishes as we have come to expect.
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A great cab with dark purple color and an excellent nose. The pallet reveals a great blend of dark berry fruit with oak and tannins and the finish is long and favorably lasting. Definitely worth the price point. Paired with rare ahi yellowfin tuna tacos
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This rich, layered, and dusty mountain Cabernet is drinking surprisingly well, though it will likely be even better in the next few years. Purple in color, full in body, enveloping nose of black cherry, pine needles, cloves, and graphite. Tastes of boysenberry, blackberry, pepper, and cedar, with a dusty finish that still carries some cinnamon but more tannin - yet isn't as overwhelming as some mountain wines can be early on (read: Dunn). 14.8% alcohol. Blend of 75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2.5% Malbec. Be sure to decant at least an hour or two, if not more.
This needs another year or so in order to reach its full potential, but it has an intensity and purity that are impressive as well as charming. Although it plainly sees a decent amount of oak, Carpenter makes this wine with a deft touch that allows the wildness and soul of the site to shine through (read: it tastes like Howell Mountain / or, a long way from the valley floor / or, at the very least, unique). I can't wait to taste my other bottle in 2019 or 2020; this wine has a huge amount of upside. 94+ for now.
P.S. I'm sure this is a sign of the end-times, but the La Jota was slightly better than a Fait Main Sleeping Lady 2014 tasted side-by-side. Perhaps it was just a personal preference tonight for mountain as opposed to valley fruit. Still, it was surprising: the La Jota had less silkiness and polish, but it also had more depth, complexity, and originality. I know that La Jota is part of the KJ-Evil-Empire-Soulless-Conglomerate, but it wasn't the one that tasted a little too polished and generic. Instead, for what it’s worth, it was the La Jota I kept coming backing to...
3/25/2024 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 91 Points
From 375, it’s been a few years since my last bottle and the wine is still very nice. Blackberry, black & dark red cherry, black & red currants, black raspberry, plum, earth, dark chocolate, touch of burnt brown sugar, still good yet integrated tannins with enough acidity to brings together. There is heat but not over the top and by no means flabby. Wines is nice and drinks over its price point.
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2/10/2024 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is wine is excellent to drink right now. You could hold for a few more years, but why. Everything is present today. The hardest thing to do with this wine is to drink it slow. Cheers
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11/14/2023 - Cuellar's Cellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Incredible wine that is aging well. Well worth the wait. Still has a few years of aging, but very drinkable today. Cheers
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10/1/2023 - Bryanb2002 wrote: 92 Points
Solid, but not much better. There were decent darker fruit notes present here, but nothing resembling much complexity. It drank pretty easily, overall fine, but I wouldn’t acquire again.
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4/17/2023 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 93 Points
definitely coming into its window now. Solid aromatics of dark red and black fruits on the nose. Medium-plus body and good concentration just not the power or the complexity I'm used to from Howell Mtn Cabs.
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10/15/2022 - AjitK Likes this wine: 89 Points
Oct 14 2022 - It’s a nice big wine but I felt it was over extracted - a little too tannic for almost 10 years old. Decanted for 2+ hours, dark fruit and coffee on the nose. MASSIVE wine almost 15% ABV. Drinks hot. Wish it was more complex for the price point. I have a case of these so hope it develops more over the next 5 years
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8/1/2022 - msuwine wrote: 89 Points
This wine has settled into something less charming - more sour cherry and spice, less body and depth - than it was four years ago (3/18 - 94+ points). I've generally found Napa 2014s to be drinking well right now, with a more settled and open-knit profile, but this just seemed more, um, simple. I suspect this is more of an awkward phase than an irreversible decline, but - whatever the reason - this wine isn't very exciting now.
Cherry red in color; medium in body; aromas of cedar chips (the kind you put in a dorm room dresser), with notes of raspberry and spice box. The flavors are similarly shallow, with notes of sour cherry, dried oregano, and peppercorn, followed by a dry and brief finish. Blend of 75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2.5% Malbec. 14.8% alcohol. Wait another year or two and hope for the best: Carpenter's wines tend to age well, so maybe this is just a bump in the road.
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7/17/2022 - Winechat63 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking great. Last bottle I had was in 2019 and said wait 2-3 years. So glad I did. Dark grapes, leather, complex. Have 1 left. Enjoyed so much I googled and called the winery to get more, couldn’t find any. So I bought some of the 375ml from 2015….
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5/9/2022 - blabbott wrote: 93 Points
Getting black fruit, leather, eucalyptus and spice on the palate with this dense and rich wine.
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10/17/2021 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Not much the first night from the pnp.....you can tell there's good fruit there, but the oak wins out. Put the cork back in the bottle and into the fridge......2nd night, much, much better....smooth and integrated. Classic graphite and deep, dark fruit.....very well integrated and easily 3 points better than the 92 of the first night over the next 3-4 hours of air. This doesn't surprise me one bit as this is made to age and increase in depth and complexity with time. A really quality wine, that all too often gets opened years too early.......
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8/31/2021 - Highlander65 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blueberry and pomegranate fruit on the nose. Soft tannins, leather, blackberry pie, android a medium long finish make this a really pleasing wine to drink. Pairs well with anything a solid Bapa Vab pairs with. Yum.
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7/11/2021 - NathalieKodiak Does not like this wine:
Reading the other tasting notes I believe this could have used more than the one hour decant it received from me. Jammy kirsch with a lack of complexity. Maybe this improves with time or air but I am not convinced.
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10/30/2020 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 91 Points
No notes. Left thinking it needs time but won’t become a knockout. 91 - 92
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7/6/2020 - streethawk Likes this wine: 95 Points
The words that come to mind when I drank this were purity and density. This wine is firing on all cylinders right now, with excellent balance and length. It will only improve with time. Waves of dark cherry liqueur, cassis, and slate on the nose and palate. Improved with air. Powerful without going overboard. Excellent wine.
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6/3/2020 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 92 Points
Four hour decant. Very deep dark magenta color. Black cherry, talc, vanilla frosting, walnut, and raspberry compote on the simultaneously rich and brooding nose. Smooth, very dry palate, with good fruit and acidity. Firm tannins on the longish finish.
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4/18/2020 - Highlander65 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Double decanted and drank after 4 hours. Bold black fruit, anise and floral notes on the nose. Pronounced tannins balanced alongside black fruit - blackberry and black currant. Clove and oak tones are secondary. Long finish with refreshing minerality. Should age well and looking forward to tasting again after more years in the cellar.
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4/3/2020 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 92 Points
A brooding young punk still getting its act together. A bit dumb the first couple of hours decanting. Lots o potential - I’ll hold off opening anymore bottles for 3-4 years.
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2/7/2020 - Susaninaustin Likes this wine: 91 Points
3
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1/20/2020 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed this yesterday with plain old burgers and tater tots....of all things! Great from the pnp but obviously improved, deepened became richer in the glass and on the palate an hour or two in. Wonderful dark mountain fruit, bracing acidity and a few layers of complexity. This has many years left and while it is in a good place right now, I'm sure it gets a point or two better down the road.
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12/9/2019 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 91 Points
Two hour decant. Nearly opaque magenta color. Crayola crayon, boysenberry, blueberry, vanilla bean and flint on the intense nose. Smooth, dry palate, with good acidity, fruit and minerality. Firm, full tannins on the medium long finish.
This was good, but still drinking a touch young and primary. An 8-12 hour decant or another two years in the cellar will boost this score. The nuts and bolts are there.
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7/8/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 91 Points
A little disappointing at the pnp.....subtle red fruit/bramble nose but overcome with a moderate alcohol component that despite swirling and trying to aerate off, seems persistent and doesn't want to leave even after an hour in the glass. Early entry the fruit and wine is thin in the mouth, like a lightweight inexpensive bright red fruit cab, but after an hour in the glass it picks up some weight and dark red/black fruit. Early on there is a slight tartness to the fruit and this wanes over time. There is a hint of anise or licorice as time goes on but nothing very strong. There is a nice line of acidity providing some backbone, but color me not too impressed for the pedigree or the price. I'll hold the rest of my '14 bottles another couple years and hope that it improves further with time. This bottle decidedly beneath one from about 6 months ago. Maybe it's heading into a little dumb phase for a while? It can't be declining this early on.......
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6/19/2019 - Mdubnik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very young, but serious potential here. Decanted for 30 minutes and drank over the next two hours. Nose is awesome. Really hitting its stride after two hours. Should have started drinking at two hours. My bottle is a 375mL. Have one bottle left; will let it sit for at LEAST five more years. I predict much better score down the road...
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6/14/2019 - Winechat63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This will be great in 2-3 years. Deep dark color. Taste of black licorice, toasted cedar and some soft spice. Hour 3 softened the tannins and brought a little sweetness out.
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4/4/2019 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice cab, still young... I could see it being quite good in 2-3 years, but as of now it's not memorable.
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4/1/2019 - Dagman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still coming together but nice fruit.
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2/7/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful mountain fruit with plenty of character right from the pop n' pour. Classic cab flavors. Primarily red but some black/blue fruit, perfect tannins and a modicum of wood. The oak really gives the wine a bit of a rustic flavor. This is a very nice Cali cab! Plenty of years left ahead for this beauty!
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1/17/2019 - RockyII Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured through a powered aerator. Deep opaque purple in color. Prominent nose nose of black cherry, blackberries, pine and graphite. Tastes is similar but with notes of pepper and cedar. Full body and nice balance of tannins and acidity. Blend of 75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2.5% Malbec.
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12/21/2018 - WineCPA wrote: 93 Points
Big supple black and blue fruit on this one. Tannins actually came out after a 1 hour decant. You could definitely enjoy this now with steak. Will be better in 5 years but enjoyable now. No finesse. Just big fruit and great flavor.
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10/29/2018 - wineotim wrote: 94 Points
As expected this has firm and tightly structured mountain fruit, definitely not from the valley floor. Good density, intensity and focus. Two days to finish. Good relative value.
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10/16/2018 - Mossrose wrote: 97 Points
Decisively the best wine tasted side by side with 6 of the top wines made by the Jackson family in California. Superbly structured by firm acidity and tannin, richly fruity, complex, deep, layered, mouth coating, and powerfully concentrated. Like 20 pounds of potatoes in a 10 pound sack. All the stuffing needed for decades of improvement to become completely seamless, caressingly smooth, and delightfully satisfying.
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10/13/2018 - Trolson wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine which really opened after two plus hours decanting. Ready to drink now.
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8/17/2018 - MJP Hou TX Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young wine and needs time for oak to integrate.
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7/21/2018 - Mossrose wrote: 95 Points
My wine of the night at a tasting of 34 Napa Cabernet Sauvignons, and yes, I tasted every single one and went back and retasted my top 10. Napa is rightly famous for wines that are fruity, lush, rich, and drinkable on release. What distinguishes this wine is powerful concentration, firm acid and tannin structure, and ageworthy ability to get even greater with 10 to 20 years of bottle age.
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7/14/2018 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours and in the bottle for a few more. Exposed oak and a touch of heat but otherwise killer. Palate is dominated by sweet blue/black fruit, vanilla shortbread, and mixed liqueurs. Excellent concentration but slightly muddled/roasted next to the 15 Realm Crane. Nonetheless held its own but needs 3-4 more years to integrate and tannins to mellow.
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5/28/2018 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose: Soft, mellow blueberries, a slight scent of oak, rather closed.
Palate: Soft and round, smooth, slight spice, dark fruits, soft oak, medium-full bodied. Low acidity, medium tannin, medium finish.
Enjoyable. When opened, the aromas seem closed and the flavors also seem a little closed. Letting it sit in the glass for an hour didn't seem to open this up much more. Little bit of vegetal flavors came out some more and some spice. The oak taste is enjoyable here.
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4/28/2018 - pfmackin wrote: 91 Points
I think this wine is too young to appreciate its richness and breadth. While we enjoyed the layers and depth, we also noted that the fruit and "sweetness" have not matured. I would not hesitate to drink this with certain foods, particularly marbled read meats, it needs time to become fuller and more robust. Nonetheless, Howell Mountain has produced another fine vintage - subtle sweetness, layered fruits and an acidic quality that finishes as we have come to expect.
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4/18/2018 - beezer6 wrote: 90 Points
Taste at MJs.
Very big. Deep purple plums, flowers with rich pepper notes.
Opulent and very ripe.
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4/17/2018 - Keeping It Real wrote: 94 Points
Tasted at Wally's Napa / Sonoma All-Stars Tasting event. Love this wine. Sweet and big fruit. Just goes down so smoothly with a nice finish.
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3/30/2018 - Mark V Likes this wine: 96 Points
A great cab with dark purple color and an excellent nose. The pallet reveals a great blend of dark berry fruit with oak and tannins and the finish is long and favorably lasting. Definitely worth the price point. Paired with rare ahi yellowfin tuna tacos
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3/6/2018 - msuwine wrote: 94 Points
This rich, layered, and dusty mountain Cabernet is drinking surprisingly well, though it will likely be even better in the next few years. Purple in color, full in body, enveloping nose of black cherry, pine needles, cloves, and graphite. Tastes of boysenberry, blackberry, pepper, and cedar, with a dusty finish that still carries some cinnamon but more tannin - yet isn't as overwhelming as some mountain wines can be early on (read: Dunn). 14.8% alcohol. Blend of 75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2.5% Malbec. Be sure to decant at least an hour or two, if not more.
This needs another year or so in order to reach its full potential, but it has an intensity and purity that are impressive as well as charming. Although it plainly sees a decent amount of oak, Carpenter makes this wine with a deft touch that allows the wildness and soul of the site to shine through (read: it tastes like Howell Mountain / or, a long way from the valley floor / or, at the very least, unique). I can't wait to taste my other bottle in 2019 or 2020; this wine has a huge amount of upside. 94+ for now.
P.S. I'm sure this is a sign of the end-times, but the La Jota was slightly better than a Fait Main Sleeping Lady 2014 tasted side-by-side. Perhaps it was just a personal preference tonight for mountain as opposed to valley fruit. Still, it was surprising: the La Jota had less silkiness and polish, but it also had more depth, complexity, and originality. I know that La Jota is part of the KJ-Evil-Empire-Soulless-Conglomerate, but it wasn't the one that tasted a little too polished and generic. Instead, for what it’s worth, it was the La Jota I kept coming backing to...
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11/17/2017 - DavidDyer Likes this wine:
Very nice, smooth with clove, cinnamon and boysenberry. A good find!
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10/30/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 89 Points
IMW - Cab / Cab Franc Walk-Around Tasting 2018 (mostly 2014 vintage) (Hyatt, San Francisco): Similar to the Lokoya. Needs time to open up. Good ripe blackcurrant on the palate. Aggressive structure.
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