We have been sourcing fruit from the exceptional terrain of Howell Mountain for more than a quarter century and were proud to unveil our first Howell Mountain Napa Valley Red Wine in 1989. From 1993 through 2003, this wine was bottled as a varietal, the Howell Mountain Napa Valley Merlot. As such, it was made using a minimum of 75 percent Merlot. Beginning with the 2004 vintage, we are pleased to return to our roots and will once again be releasing this sought-after bottling as our Howell Mountain Napa Valley Red Wine. What's in a name? A lot. This new name will give us enhanced freedom to create read more...the best blend possible each vintage (without worrying about percentages) from the four Bordeaux varietals grown on our Stout and Candlestick Ridge estate vineyards. We believe this approach offers us greater latitude to capture the flavorful diversity of this one-of-a-kind winegrowing region. This Napa Valley Red Wine reflects the power and intensity of its rugged, high elevation terroir, displaying excellent structure, strong tannins and a complex undercurrent of earthy minerality. Featuring extracted aromas of dark chocolate, mulled fruit and spice, this robust wine also offers savory hints of porcini and soy. On the palate, mouth-filling flavors of blackberry, black currant, mocha and menthol are accentuated by hints of lavender, graphite, herbs and sweet oak.    (hide)

Community Tasting Notes (average 86 pts. and median of 86 pts. in 2 notes)

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Drink 2009-2010