Vanessa

9.2

Cimarossa, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rive di Cimarossa. Vintage 2011. ABV 14.20%.

This wine is deep ruby with garnet secondary hues. On the nose this wine has medium(+) intensity of developing aromas. Aromas include blackberry preserves, black cherry, dried prune, fig, also black pepper, molasses, cedar, tobacco, mocha, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, earth, and wet moss. On the palate this wine is dry. It has medium acidity, a full body, high alcohol, firm (high) tannins, and medium(+) intensity of flavors consistent with the nose but with delicate vegetal notes. The baking spice is also very prominent. The finish is long.

The 2011 vintage in Napa Valley was on the wetter and cooler side, which offered an extended growing season allowing the grapes to ripen and develop slowly. This wine comes from a vineyard located in Howell Mountain, on the Northeastern side of the Vaca Mountains, which afforded it additional exposure to winds that kept the vines dry and sunshine which aided in the ripening process.

Fun fact! Howell Mountain legally became its own appellation in 1983, the year of my birth, making this Howell Mountain Cab a fine choice for a Birthday weekend (there’s always a connection).

In addition to owning this spectacular winery, owners Corry Dekker and Dino Dina both come from an impressive background in medicine and biotechnology and have left, and continue to leave, an indelible impact on the vaccine industry. Cheers to that!! And cheers to Mia Kline for her excellence in winemaking and fruit expression.

This label features an image of the yellow monkeyflower, a wild flower that grows along the edges of the vineyard from which this wine comes.
— 4 years ago

with Deked1

Billy L.

10

Bravo!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Kudos Chris Maybach & Thomas Rivers Brown, absolutely fabulous!!!
Cheers 🍇🍷

Robert M. Parker Jr. 💯
“There are roughly 600 cases of the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Materium, all of which comes from the Weitz Vineyard on the eastern Vaca Mountain hillside of Oakville at an elevation of about 1,000 feet above the Silverado Trail. This is shallow soil interspersed with loads of pebbles and stones. This wine is incredible first-growth material – a magical Cabernet Sauvignon with an opaque purple color, an extraordinary nose of blackberry and cassis, white flowers, crushed rock and minerality followed by a full-bodied majestic mouthfeel with phenomenal balance, purity and overall equilibrium. Stunningly rich and impressive, this wine will hit its peak in 8-10 years and has the potential to last 40-50 years. For those who keep track of such things, the wine was completely aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud barrels.” (RP) (10/2015)
— 6 years ago

Diêgo Martins

9.0

Adoro o cheiro cítrico e de maçã desse #vinhoverde. Fácil de beber, mas bem complexo na boca. Secura tranquila. — 8 years ago

with Nathalie

Richard Adams

9.2

Crisp lively CDP blanc for vaca in Grenada. White peach and citrus zest. — 8 years ago

with Ksenia

ecrum

9.9

Last-day-of-vaca wine 😎 — 9 years ago

with Krss119

Brian Armenio

9.0

So tasty and perfect for a tapa of pulled chicken, sherry reduction and foie gras at Vaca CM. — 4 years ago

Edward Nelson

9.1

Vaca wine I am finishing. Good solid wine. Enjoyable. — 5 years ago

with Michelle

Jo Anne B

8.9

Vaca starts tomorrow🙌. Lots of bright red fruit. Diggin it🏄‍♀️☀️🏖 — 6 years ago

Marc S

9.2

Great dark triple in a 665cm3 bottle. Chocolate, smooth bitters with some caramel. Perfect after a strenuous drive on the RN 40 — 7 years ago

Mimi Parisay

9.0

So good! Just as great as the day at the winery. #Santa Barbara vaca — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

The Backus Vineyard is on a steep hillside in the low end of the Vaca mountains...across from Rudd Vineyards and Screaming Eagle. It's a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot & 1% Malbec. Tonight, it's showing elegant evolution. The tannins are about at the halfway point in their evolution. It has a slightly jammy character. The fruits are; ripe to dry blackberries, spiced plum, dark cherries, touch of blueberries, black raspberries & raspberries come on late, coffee grounds, spice-box, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, mocha chocolate, a nice woody barrel toast comes through mid palate, black licorice anise, dry stems, black tea, dry florals & fresh violets, dry hay, rich semi-sweet black earth, dry crush brown volcanic rocks and the acidity is perfect. The wine is in a good place tonight with a 3 hour decant. The structure, balance, length and finish are outstanding. The finish goes on and on. It's; ruby, lush, thick, round, elegant with just the right amount of spice and earth. The first bottle in a set of three. I would have the next bottle in 5-8 years. Guessing, the last bottle in another 3-7 years depending on the showing of the second bottle. Sweet dark cassis nectar. — 8 years ago

Qian Qian Tang

9.0

Sam's bday — 8 years ago

Erika B

9.0

Muy ligerito bueno para una cena tranquila o comida dominguera — 9 years ago

Allison Lyzenga

9.3

Pale cloudy ruby; medium plus intensity aromas of red cherry, wild strawberry, cranberry, subtle red apple, yellow peach, mushroom, earth; dry, high acid, low tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, medium plus intensity flavors consistent with aromas; medium plus finish, screaming high acid, but well balanced with elegant flavors — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

A blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon & 1% Petit Verdot, aged 24 Months in 70% New French Oak, grapes sourced from eastern side of Napa, on Vaca Range where Hall has vines. In 1873 Captain William Peterson came to Napa and established a winery on Hall’s property, and this winery and site became important for Napa, producing 40% of its entire vintage from that 1 site. Deep Ruby, medium+ aroma intensity of dark berry fruits and aromatic spice. On the palate flavors of ripe blackberry and black cherry fruit, black pepper and cinnamon spice. Chewy structured firm tannins, good integration with lively acidity, great mouthfeel, long finish ending with fruit, spice and bits of minerality. Tasting Sample! — 5 years ago

Geoffrey Clapp

9.7

Drinking chocolate and bing cherry; has to pair but lovley to drink — 6 years ago

Edward Chiu

9.3

Ridiculous wine with John Vaca — 7 years ago

Paul T HB

9.6

Good stuff, should of taken this on vaca, — 8 years ago

Kimberly Anderson

9.0

Heavy cherry, licorice and baking spice. Nice vaca bottle — 8 years ago

with Chad

Charlie Beatty

Buyer wineworksonline.com

9.4

Wow 2013 Alexander Valley store bought WineWorks Marlton for 23.98 is Fabulous ! In Strathmere on Vaca! This's is the Best of what Sebastiani has done is Incredible. Great mouth feel, soft tannin. Black fruit jump out of the glass! Another WOW 94+ this Restaurant under pressure is Awesome when busy! CB 94+ — 9 years ago

with Karen