Duckhorn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
(Napa Valley, California) - [JS 94] [DM 94] [WS 93]

About this Wine:
Duckhorn Vineyards has sourced grapes from this distinctive region for more than a quarter century and has crafted a Howell Mountain bottling since 1989. Recognized as one of the Napa Valley’s most acclaimed winegrowing regions, grapes from Howell Mountain are famous for producing age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignons with rich, deep color and excellent structure. To encourage further complexity, we bottle-age this mountain-grown wine one year longer than our other wines prior to release.

Production Notes:

2019 brought another exceptional vintage to Napa Valley, resulting in wines with alluring polish and poise! The season began with a wet winter followed by a mild spring. While this led to a slightly later-than-normal start to the season, ideal summer weather with no significant heat spikes ensured ideal flavor development, yielding complex and vibrant whites, and refined reds with elegant tannins, enticing aromatics and beautiful fruit flavors.

Varietal Composition: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc
Aging: Aged a total of 24 months 18 months in new French oak followed by 6 months in neutral barrels

14.5% ABV

Tasting Notes

This bold and luxurious mountain wine begins with inviting aromas of blackberry, black cherry, fresh mint and huckleberry. On the palate it is full and layered, with robust, age-worthy tannins and gorgeous flavors of dark berries, mocha and chocolate-covered cherries mingling with hints of pencil shavings, figs and fine leather as it draws to a long, rich finish.

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - James Suckling:
Rich, dense and almost chewy in its concentration of dark fruit flavors, this has the age-worthy structure of Howell Mountain wines but with moderate, rounded tannins. Delicious blueberries, baked cherries, dried cranberries and hints of stony minerals and cocoa fill the palate. It's a generous wine that's balanced on a big scale, with a full body and integrated tannins. Drink or hold." - Jim Gordon (September 2024)

94 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"This is a lighter, brighter approach to Howell Mountain Cabernet from Napa, with fragrant red berry fruits, toffee spices, sandalwood, and mocha. It is medium-bodied and sports juicy boysenberry, cherry, and spiced plums framed by cocoa-powder tannins, sweet herbs, and zesty blood orange through the lingering finish. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc are aged 18 months in new French oak, followed by six months in neutral barrels." - Jonathan Cristaldi (August 2024)

93 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A dark, winey version, featuring heavy steeped black currant and black cherry notes that are still tightly coiled up, with graphite, tar and sweet tobacco notes. Reveals a buried sleek iron accent, which lends length and focus through the structured yet racy finish. A textbook Howell Mountain Cabernet. Drink now through 2035." - James Molesworth (November 2023)