2012 Michael James Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 92 points

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  1/28/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 91 Points

  raspberry, currant, oak spice, coffee, pepper, cocoa, red cherries and dried earth.
  
  More of a red fruit palate than the usual dark berry Howell, more fresh mouthfeel with acidity and earthy undertones, really peppery aromatics

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  1/21/2019 - huevosconvino Likes this wine: 93 Points

  2012 is the current release of this wine, which is the only wine this producer makes. Blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. This wine comes from the Howell Mountain appellation; specifically, the grapes are from Beatty Ranch vines planted in the late 1970s or so. I decanted a bottle this evening, and wow: amazingly complex aromas of blackberry, leather, smoked meat, and more than I could really capture quickly. Things immediately settled down and the wine tended toward the dark side: blackberry, boysenberry, black plum, and a light flinty/earthy undertone with rich tannins and acidity. I could just sit and smell this wine for hours. I tasted some after about 15 minutes of decanting to see how things were progressing. Delicious. Strong tannins and acidity as promised, complex and smooth mouthfeel with silky, mildly dusty body and nice mix of juicy red fruits on top of the black fruits. Terrific wine.

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