Garnet w a very tiny hint of purple Coravined a glass, and let it sit covered over night. As it was when I opened it, and the next morning, I get a strong aroma of black pepper and almost a pasta component There’s also hints of dried green herbs and black olive.. Also Big Fig. Hint of cocoa slight ripe cherry on the nose Fruit characteristics of ripe cherries and over ripe blackberry & slight prune on the palate. Tannins still strong, but well integrated Med acid Lots of sediment Idk if I’d age this any longer Except for maybe Dunn, I’m starting to think 20 years is the limit on Howell mountain (and the optimal time being 16-20 yrs) every time I drink a Howell mountain wine over 20, the extracted, high alcohol, old/dried fruit characteristics dominate, and there’s less nuance. At 20 years, I don’t think Howell mtn offers what the west side Napa mountains offer for the wine experience. Wines w such high abvs (as in most on Howell) turn a hint port like w extended age, where on mt veeder, spring mtn, and Diamond mtn, secondary and tertiary characteristics are more evident and noticeable. The Ilona was interesting. It’s got complexity left now, but I wouldn’t wait any longer
It’s that late day hot Sun exposure
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Garnet w a very tiny hint of purple Coravined a glass, and let it sit covered over night. As it was when I opened it, and the next morning, I get a strong aroma of pasta and pepper?…(the Cab franc in there?) There’s also hints of oregano and spice Not much fruit on the nose, however, fruit characteristics of dried cherries and over ripe blackberry & slight prune on the palate. Tannins still strong, but well integrated Med acid Lots of sediment Idk if I’d age this any longer Except for maybe Dunn, I’m starting to think 20 years is the limit on Howell mountain (and the optimal time being 16-20 yrs) every time I drink a Howell mountain wine over 20, the extracted, high alcohol, old/dried fruit characteristics dominate, and there’s not a lot of nuance. At 20 years, I don’t think Howell mtn offers what the west side Napa mountains offer for the wine experience. Wines w such high abvs (as in most on Howell) turn really port like w extended age, where on mt veeder, spring mtn, and Diamond mtn, secondary and tertiary characteristics are more evident and noticeable. The Ilona was interesting, but still extracted port like flavor
It’s that late day hot Sun exposure, baking pie into the wines from Howell, and even atlas peak
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Popped and vinturi'd, nose of dark fruit and vanilla/oak. Smooth, sleek and refined this is a nice blend of merlot, cab sav and cab franc. Soft and so easy to drink, will work w/ a wide range of foods. A friend brought this over to the house, said he had purchased at a Beaverton grocery outlet for $10.99 vs the $35-$45 retail price. Recession red...solid value
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Some herbaceousnous aromas....not bad, but more Bordeaux rather than Howell Mountain. Reminded me more of a Cabernet from Tuscany rather than Napa....nice cork -- wine is meant to age, and it has enough substance to potentially be a great wine.
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4/16/2023 - HODL Likes this wine: 88 Points
Garnet w a very tiny hint of purple
Coravined a glass, and let it sit covered over night.
As it was when I opened it, and the next morning, I get a strong aroma of black pepper and almost a pasta component
There’s also hints of dried green herbs and black olive.. Also Big Fig. Hint of cocoa
slight ripe cherry on the nose
Fruit characteristics of ripe cherries and over ripe blackberry & slight prune on the palate.
Tannins still strong, but well integrated
Med acid
Lots of sediment
Idk if I’d age this any longer
Except for maybe Dunn, I’m starting to think 20 years is the limit on Howell mountain (and the optimal time being 16-20 yrs) every time I drink a Howell mountain wine over 20, the extracted, high alcohol, old/dried fruit characteristics dominate, and there’s less nuance.
At 20 years, I don’t think Howell mtn offers what the west side Napa mountains offer for the wine experience.
Wines w such high abvs (as in most on Howell) turn a hint port like w extended age, where on mt veeder, spring mtn, and Diamond mtn, secondary and tertiary characteristics are more evident and noticeable.
The Ilona was interesting.
It’s got complexity left now, but I wouldn’t wait any longer
It’s that late day hot Sun exposure
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4/15/2023 - HODL Likes this wine: 88 Points
Garnet w a very tiny hint of purple
Coravined a glass, and let it sit covered over night.
As it was when I opened it, and the next morning, I get a strong aroma of pasta and pepper?…(the Cab franc in there?)
There’s also hints of oregano and spice
Not much fruit on the nose, however, fruit characteristics of dried cherries and over ripe blackberry & slight prune on the palate.
Tannins still strong, but well integrated
Med acid
Lots of sediment
Idk if I’d age this any longer
Except for maybe Dunn, I’m starting to think 20 years is the limit on Howell mountain (and the optimal time being 16-20 yrs) every time I drink a Howell mountain wine over 20, the extracted, high alcohol, old/dried fruit characteristics dominate, and there’s not a lot of nuance.
At 20 years, I don’t think Howell mtn offers what the west side Napa mountains offer for the wine experience.
Wines w such high abvs (as in most on Howell) turn really port like w extended age, where on mt veeder, spring mtn, and Diamond mtn, secondary and tertiary characteristics are more evident and noticeable.
The Ilona was interesting, but still extracted port like flavor
It’s that late day hot Sun exposure, baking pie into the wines from Howell, and even atlas peak
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10/15/2010 - AverySides wrote: 88 Points
Dinner with Tom and the girls.
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3/15/2010 - wineaboutit wrote: 90 Points
Popped and vinturi'd, nose of dark fruit and vanilla/oak. Smooth, sleek and refined this is a nice blend of merlot, cab sav and cab franc. Soft and so easy to drink, will work w/ a wide range of foods. A friend brought this over to the house, said he had purchased at a Beaverton grocery outlet for $10.99 vs the
$35-$45 retail price. Recession red...solid value
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11/8/2009 - win wrote: 89 Points
Not as expressive as previous bottle. Just a little muted and closed, but still interesting wine. Wait.
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6/13/2009 - mmurry wrote: 88 Points
Customer is the Critic! (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had rhubarb, cherry and spice. The palate had cherry, oak, spice, and a rhubarb finish.
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6/11/2009 - win wrote: 91 Points
Some herbaceousnous aromas....not bad, but more Bordeaux rather than Howell Mountain. Reminded me more of a Cabernet from Tuscany rather than Napa....nice cork -- wine is meant to age, and it has enough substance to potentially be a great wine.
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