Decanted 4 hours before pairing with grilled Tomahawk steaks. A dark ruby in the glass with slightly thinning edges; no bricking. Blackberry, cassis, oak spices, and leather on the nose. Tannins fully resolved. Was an excellent match for the medium rare Tomahawk steaks. Our last from a half case. These have all been outstanding.
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I don't get around to certain bottles as early as I thought I would. This one is one I have been thinking of for a long while, the WH Smith Purple Label, a Dodo label. This became something that more site savvy geeks would know better than I, but I believe Rocket Vineyard.? Does that sound right?? Anyway, it's in my glass and its amazing. Color is still dark, I would never think 13 years on sight alone. The edges are still purple! Nose is super pure, sleek and elegant. It is a joy to sniff but I am here to drink; palate is black currant softened by time but not aged. Edges are curled under and it is just joy. Kirsch-Royal laced and bouncy, This shows thoroughbred bones for sure. Deftly balanced and built for comfort. It is a textbook Napa Cabernet that I would share with anyone, both knowledgeable in wine or novice and I would hold my head high and say, 'Yeah, its mine and I paid $28 bucks for it!'. The mouthfeel on this is amazing: its silky and sophisticated. Long finish and all of the integral Napa Hallmarks stay in place quite nicely;the perfect cab-package if I may. I know I have treated this well in the cellar since purchase and it just proves once again why we do what we do when we do it. Lol
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Decanted and left in the 59 degree cellar for 2.5 hours before being tasted along with 5 of our best wine-loving friends watching and celebrating the Belmont Stakes telecast. A dark violet-ruby in the glass with slow-forming legs, the complex nose featured red alpine currant, cassis, mocha, forest floor, and oak spices. Very good intensity and concentration, with a long, lingering finish. This Howell Mtn. selection was offered in a lineup that included similarly well-decanted bottles of 2004 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee St. Vivant, 2001 Faustino I Gran Reserva Rioja, 1994 Chateau L'Evangile Pomerol, and 2010 Black Cordon Vineyard Block L Ritchie Vineyard RRV Chardonnay. On balance, this Cab presented very nicely in a star-studded lineup, and was greatly appreciated by all!
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Dark purple in the glass. Violets and red fruit on the nose. Round, ripe. Balanced and juicy. Nice red fruits with a hint of spice. Enjoyable if a little simple. God QPR.
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Drank with Passover pizza and it did not disappoint - smooth drinking, low acidity, and did not decay over dinner - I would guess peaking now The wine looks violet colored. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like gooseberry, mineral and mineral. The body is light/medium. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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Consumed over 2 days, note from day 2. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness, blue and red fruit, tobacco, and pie crust. Palate: Full bodied - lots of sediment, ripe blue and red fruit attack, with spice, tobacco and earthy flavors - showing it's age quite nicely, still has a solid acidic back-bone. Finish: Lengthy sense of spicy ripe fruit, earth and tobacco. My last of 3 bottles and the best so far, believe this will drink well for at least a few more years.
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4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Rich & Dana's): Inky garnet color. At first this had a strong eucalyptus note- perhaps someone brought a Martha's?- but then this too turned a bit sour and acidic. Muddled red fruit with a sour, acidic finish.
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Opened (but not decanted) 3 hours before pairing with grilled NY strip steaks, trimmed baked potatoes and brown mushrooms. A clear ruby purple in the glass, with a somewhat shy nose of red and black fruits, cassis, oak spices and a noticeable touch of green olive. Good concentration and intensity, with nicely integrating juicy tannins, and a good attack through the mid-palate on into a respectable finish. Was served alongside and, in my opinion, eclipsed by a 2004 Medlock Ames Bell Mtn. Red (99% Cabernet Sauvignon) that was given an equivalent amount of air. Others at the table, however, preferred this over the Medlock.
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Consumed over 2 days note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, smoke, earth, blueberry pie and a hint of floral scent. Palate: Medium-full bodied, nice balance, blue fruit flavors with an acidic kick in the back-end. Finish: Lengthy sense of tangy blue fruit. My second of 3 bottles and this performed quite a bit better than the first consumed last Fall.
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Decanted 2 hours, consumed over 4 hours. Nose: A little barnyard that took a couple hours to dissipate, black cherry, rock candy, mint, and earth. Palate: Medium bodied, good acidity, tart dark red fruit up front with acidic tartness dominating through the mid-palate. The medium length finish is dominated by tart under ripe red fruit. Based upon previous notes and my usual enjoyment of Howell Mountain cabernets this was a little disappointing.
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Walking tour of tasting rooms on Lincoln Ave Calistoga, Ca 1/28/2011: We tasted this at the winery tasting room in downtown Calistoga. They described it as black velvet, and they were right. It is always an adventure to drink Cabernet, from a winery whose owners and managers are unashamed Pinot Noir lovers. This wine was purple, so much so, that the glass, and my teeth were purple. It is big, but at the same time soft, I might say feminine. It is rich and heavy while maintaining it's grace and elegance. There is huge blackberry and all the other dark fruits, but it is not a fruit bomb, and so well balanced, that forget all the analysis, just sip and enjoy. The finish lasted for several minutes.
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Opened and poured at dinner. Delicious Wine. Dark, inky color with nice ripe black fruits and oak. Very soft and balanced. If I didn't know what this was, I certainly would not suspect it was from Howell Mountain, especially at this age. 13.9% Alcohol.
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10/9/2022 - wicozani Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 4 hours before pairing with grilled Tomahawk steaks. A dark ruby in the glass with slightly thinning edges; no bricking. Blackberry, cassis, oak spices, and leather on the nose. Tannins fully resolved. Was an excellent match for the medium rare Tomahawk steaks. Our last from a half case. These have all been outstanding.
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4/11/2020 - King Cab wrote: 94 Points
I don't get around to certain bottles as early as I thought I would. This one is one I have been thinking of for a long while, the WH Smith Purple Label, a Dodo label. This became something that more site savvy geeks would know better than I, but I believe Rocket Vineyard.? Does that sound right?? Anyway, it's in my glass and its amazing.
Color is still dark, I would never think 13 years on sight alone. The edges are still purple! Nose is super pure, sleek and elegant. It is a joy to sniff but I am here to drink; palate is black currant softened by time but not aged. Edges are curled under and it is just joy. Kirsch-Royal laced and bouncy, This shows thoroughbred bones for sure. Deftly balanced and built for comfort. It is a textbook Napa Cabernet that I would share with anyone, both knowledgeable in wine or novice and I would hold my head high and say, 'Yeah, its mine and I paid $28 bucks for it!'. The mouthfeel on this is amazing: its silky and sophisticated. Long finish and all of the integral Napa Hallmarks stay in place quite nicely;the perfect cab-package if I may. I know I have treated this well in the cellar since purchase and it just proves once again why we do what we do when we do it. Lol
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12/21/2015 - Dmiller3 wrote:
Lovely oaked California cab that is still drinking
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6/6/2015 - wicozani Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted and left in the 59 degree cellar for 2.5 hours before being tasted along with 5 of our best wine-loving friends watching and celebrating the Belmont Stakes telecast. A dark violet-ruby in the glass with slow-forming legs, the complex nose featured red alpine currant, cassis, mocha, forest floor, and oak spices. Very good intensity and concentration, with a long, lingering finish. This Howell Mtn. selection was offered in a lineup that included similarly well-decanted bottles of 2004 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee St. Vivant, 2001 Faustino I Gran Reserva Rioja, 1994 Chateau L'Evangile Pomerol, and 2010 Black Cordon Vineyard Block L Ritchie Vineyard RRV Chardonnay. On balance, this Cab presented very nicely in a star-studded lineup, and was greatly appreciated by all!
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10/10/2014 - gesusser wrote:
Delicious
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9/8/2014 - klausner1 wrote:
Dark purple in the glass. Violets and red fruit on the nose. Round, ripe. Balanced and juicy. Nice red fruits with a hint of spice. Enjoyable if a little simple. God QPR.
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4/19/2014 - Dmiller3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank with Passover pizza and it did not disappoint - smooth drinking, low acidity, and did not decay over dinner - I would guess peaking now
The wine looks violet colored. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like gooseberry, mineral and mineral. The body is light/medium. The wine has satin-like texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity.
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8/25/2013 - prasm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consumed over 2 days, note from day 2. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness, blue and red fruit, tobacco, and pie crust. Palate: Full bodied - lots of sediment, ripe blue and red fruit attack, with spice, tobacco and earthy flavors - showing it's age quite nicely, still has a solid acidic back-bone. Finish: Lengthy sense of spicy ripe fruit, earth and tobacco. My last of 3 bottles and the best so far, believe this will drink well for at least a few more years.
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7/6/2013 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Tasty black currant and blueberries on the nose and palate with spicy oak notes finishing with soft tannins and a bit of acidity.
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5/12/2013 - 32lakeviewwine wrote: 90 Points
God, but needs more time
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3/23/2013 - AllRed Does not like this wine:
4th Saturday group "uptown" tasting (Rich & Dana's): Inky garnet color. At first this had a strong eucalyptus note- perhaps someone brought a Martha's?- but then this too turned a bit sour and acidic. Muddled red fruit with a sour, acidic finish.
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1/27/2013 - wicozani Likes this wine: 89 Points
Opened (but not decanted) 3 hours before pairing with grilled NY strip steaks, trimmed baked potatoes and brown mushrooms. A clear ruby purple in the glass, with a somewhat shy nose of red and black fruits, cassis, oak spices and a noticeable touch of green olive. Good concentration and intensity, with nicely integrating juicy tannins, and a good attack through the mid-palate on into a respectable finish. Was served alongside and, in my opinion, eclipsed by a 2004 Medlock Ames Bell Mtn. Red (99% Cabernet Sauvignon) that was given an equivalent amount of air. Others at the table, however, preferred this over the Medlock.
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4/19/2012 - prasm wrote: 90 Points
Consumed over 2 days note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, smoke, earth, blueberry pie and a hint of floral scent. Palate: Medium-full bodied, nice balance, blue fruit flavors with an acidic kick in the back-end. Finish: Lengthy sense of tangy blue fruit. My second of 3 bottles and this performed quite a bit better than the first consumed last Fall.
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10/8/2011 - prasm wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours, consumed over 4 hours. Nose: A little barnyard that took a couple hours to dissipate, black cherry, rock candy, mint, and earth. Palate: Medium bodied, good acidity, tart dark red fruit up front with acidic tartness dominating through the mid-palate. The medium length finish is dominated by tart under ripe red fruit. Based upon previous notes and my usual enjoyment of Howell Mountain cabernets this was a little disappointing.
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1/28/2011 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 91 Points
Walking tour of tasting rooms on Lincoln Ave Calistoga, Ca 1/28/2011: We tasted this at the winery tasting room in downtown Calistoga. They described it as black velvet, and they were right. It is always an adventure to drink Cabernet, from a winery whose owners and managers are unashamed Pinot Noir lovers. This wine was purple, so much so, that the glass, and my teeth were purple. It is big, but at the same time soft, I might say feminine. It is rich and heavy while maintaining it's grace and elegance. There is huge blackberry and all the other dark fruits, but it is not a fruit bomb, and so well balanced, that forget all the analysis, just sip and enjoy. The finish lasted for several minutes.
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4/17/2010 - Old Sparky wrote: 90 Points
Opened and poured at dinner. Delicious Wine. Dark, inky color with nice ripe black fruits and oak. Very soft and balanced. If I didn't know what this was, I certainly would not suspect it was from Howell Mountain, especially at this age. 13.9% Alcohol.
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