2017 Duckhorn Vineyards Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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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.
Wine Spectator
93
Wine Review Online
95
Wine & Spirits
92
Wine Profile
Production Notes
Varietal Composition: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot
Winemaker Notes
The nose offers an explosion of dark mountain fruit with decadent aromas of raspberry-filled chocolates, black currant, mulberry and huckleberry jam, as well as more savory notes of cedar and spice. On the palate, firm mountain tannins underscore this wine’s opulence and ageability, framing the blackberry, fig and black currant flavors, with bright underlying acidity providing poise and finesse to the long, layered finish.
Production
The 2017 growing season began with abundant winter rains, followed by a warm, dry spring that led to a perfectly timed budbreak. In addition to replenishing the water table, the early season rains produced robust canopies, which provided invaluable shade during a week-long heat event that kicked harvest into gear during the last week of August. This was followed by a much-needed cooldown that allowed the vines to recuperate, while also giving us extra hangtime for flavor development and tannin resolution. We harvested throughout September and into early October, with the grapes showing lovely ripeness and quality, yielding plush, polished and wonderfully complex wines.
Wine Specs
Wine Specs
Vintage
2017
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation
Howell Mountain
Acid
0.57 g/100 ml
pH
3.69
Aging
Aged a total of 24 months 18 months in new French oak followed by 6 months in neutral barrels
Alcohol %
14.5
Wine Spectator
93
Wine Review Online
95
Wine & Spirits
92