Mark Flesher

9.4

Opened tonight. And, I feel like a broken record saying that here is ANOTHER great 2011 considering the "damned vintage" that this one received press for being. I have 43 more 2011 Napa wines and I have a feeling that I'm going to be writing the same thing another 43 times. Not powerful, but these wines truly show the complexity that Napa cab CAN be. Nose of iodine, black licorice. Very front of this wine is sweeter black cherry giving way to an herbal infused middle (getting more dried basil with a hint of oregano and cumin). The red clay terroir is unmistakably present here through the middle and finish, which is usually more present for Ponente only at the very finish. The wine finishes with black cherry and black licorice dominated notes. I have a feeling that this wine is still on the way up. Has a few more years until it is at the top of the hill, but drinking OH SO WELL right now. — 7 years ago

Lesley Worth

9.0

Had at Cameron’s Steakhouse by recommendation from our waiter. We both enjoyed it. More French than typical Napa cab. — 9 years ago

Bill Makens

9.1

This one is for @Shay Aldriedge. Love Howell mountain and hadn't had this producer before. Popped and poured and was immediately hit with cherry and cola flavors. Surprised at how tight this wine was after 11 years in the bottle. After an hour in the glass it was starting to hit its stride with more of the black fruit coming through. Would love to revisit this wine in another year and giving it a minimum 1 hour decant. It's well balanced but I didn't give it a fair shot straight out of the bottle. — 9 years ago

Shay A

9.3

This is one of the better cab francs I've had (though I need to try Detert on @Carl Fischer's recommendation). La Jota is becoming a favorite of mine...shouldn't be surprised as I'm a die-hard Howell Mountain fan. No traces of green pepper at all with this...got a nose of very slight toasted oak and blackberries. Long legs and a gorgeous purple ring/black core. Plum and cinnamon on the tongue. I'll take some more please. 👌 — 10 years ago

Mark Grammer

9.3

Dark red fruit on the nose. Beautiful spice and herbs at the start. Green pepper and black pepper on the finish. — 10 years ago

Martin G Rivard

9.5

Fantasy Football - Draft day at Rivard Insurance Agency!!! Awesome Haber Howell Mountain to kick off the celebration!! — 10 years ago

Charlie Beatty

Buyer wineworksonline.com

9.4

2006 at its very best! Howell Mtn fruit ! Another Awesome Cab! With group at Chophouse! Huge fruit with just a touch soft tannins brings this and holds it together! WOW from Howard and Randy! Thanks — 11 years ago

Bryan Kleppe

8.9

Very good not great. Prefer Faust or Groth at. Steakhouse but the wine did get better as it opened up. — 11 years ago

Lisa Zaleski

9.1

Really good for 3.99 at trader Joes. — 13 years ago

Mike R

9.2

Starter wine and delicious

At my fav restaurant.

Smiling — 8 years ago

Eric

9.4

Not old school, not new school. Awesome nose of wildflowers and pencil shavings. Palate of blue bruised fruits, too many spices to mention, and tar. Pure as the driven snow. Marvel comic sized tannins. If you have any of this, wait at least five years and prepare for an amazeballs (wife term) wine. Marc Mondavi/TRB. — 9 years ago

Kevin Ortzman

9.3

At ten years old, still way too young (double decanted). Cherry red cigar box with currants. Velvety, rich structured 🍷 — 9 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

The best thing about pouring for a producer is the leftover at the end of the night. Yesterday, this wine was meek and mild. Tonight? Quite the opposite. Power and complexity which is still there is magnified significantly. These wines are young! Tonight this one had a dense blackberry core with graphite, a hint of cola toward the finish. Licorice as it hits the back. Nice and dense core. 2013 Rian is even darker! — 9 years ago

Jason Booth

9.1

Step into Wonka's Chocolate Factory and get ready to get sucked up the Gloop Shoot. This wine brims with cocoa cassis fantasy dreams but hear me now...to drink without at least a decade in the darkest corners of a cellar is to rob the magic of what it could become. Pouring it now would be like asking Harry Potter to defeat Voldemort after only his first week at Hogwarts. Let the wizardry develop in the bottle. Drink it with your filet in 2022. — 10 years ago

Eric

9.2

Mostly single vintage cab. Very nice. Not worth the price at $325. — 10 years ago

Chris Hogan

9.1

Suprisingly drinkable...and at $4.99 talk about a bargain! — 10 years ago

S R

9.9

Ringing the n 2016 with cozy at-home dinner. Full, tart, peppery. Part of our Cakebread club shipment. — 11 years ago

Michael Mathews

9.3

At Seven with my brother Brian and Olivia....roof top. Great drop, needs to open up a bit. Howell Mountain!!! — 11 years ago

Cobus Theunissen

9.5

Gift from Michele.
Was really really good with some wild boar at Hurleys. — 12 years ago

Estefania

9.0

Very smooth, kind of sweet red wine. A bit of a dry taste at the end which rounds the taste of it. Definitely liked it for a resting night at home! — 8 years ago

Matthew Marcino

9.4

Very approachable. Evolution of this bottle was over a 4 hour decant. First taste at opening, was tight dense gorgeous fruit, cassis, cigar, stone, and crisp Howell air. Second taste an hour later was bigger, bold, strong ruby fruit, less cigar but tobacco was still there. The fruit became longer on the finish and the density was so sexy. Taste like how you encounter sexiness tasting. Rudy, Tom, Michael and Red Cap Fam doing it really really well! — 8 years ago

Michael Chelus

9.1

Blackberry, raspberry preserves, cherry cola, vanilla, licorice and oak. Great structure and moderate tannins — 9 years ago

Alicia Cypress

9.2

Tasted at Hearts Delight press lunch. (Not my pic, I forgot to take one). I went into this thinking it would be big Napa Cab and wouldn't suit my palate. Then I tasted it and wow! Nothing green on this. Nice chalky minerality. I was excited to see this was from Howell Mountain as it then made sense to me why I was enjoying this more than expected. — 9 years ago

Drew Miller

9.4

Was worried it was past it's prime at 11 years and my cork fell apart. Got lucky it still had life! Big wine. Wasn't exactly my fav but it was interesting. Solid finish. — 10 years ago

Kate Newman

9.5

Milk and honey! Good deal at TJs, will return to this in the summer fo sho — 10 years ago

Michael Ray

8.9

Great at first then kind of vanished from the back. — 10 years ago

Henrik Poulsen

9.1

Surprisingly (over-) ripe for being Denis' style and labeled at only 13.8% alc.
I would think "hedonistic critics" (you know who I mean) would have rated this 98+. — 10 years ago

with Acumen, Kurt-Inge and 1 other

David Rowe

9.3

Great as usual! Drank on 2/6/16 at Grill 23 — 10 years ago

Joseph Mrak

9.3

Nice Howell man example. Well balanced. Not a heavy cab. — 11 years ago

Adrienne Stillman

9.9

Fantastic example of what 2011 Napa wines can be when done right. No green ness whatsoever. Opened at the Arkenstone harvest party today. — 12 years ago