95pts Jeb Dunnuck

The same blend as the 2017, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is another impressive, medium to full-bodied Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from this team. Cassis, graphite, chalky minerality, and iron, as well as some classic Howell Mountain bouquet garni-like notes, all define the aromatics, and it's balanced, has ripe tannins, and lots of minerality on the finish. Give it another 2-3 years and enjoy through 2038+.

95pts Vinous

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous wine. Inky dark fruit, gravel, scorched earth, lavender, game, spice and bittersweet chocolate all come alive as this striking, wonderfully nuanced Cabernet opens in the glass. A wine of stature and dynamic energy, the 2018 is just striking. This is an especially delicate, understated Cabernet for Howell Mountain.

94pts Wine Spectator

This is solid, with a core of black currant and blackberry reduction notes that feel chiseled, while charcoal, tobacco, roasted apple wood and cast iron accents course underneath, giving this a rigidly structured, throwback persona. Patience is required. Best from 2026 through 2042.

91pts James Suckling

Dark-fruited and earthy nose with black cherries, blackcurrants, ground spices, nutmeg and wet earth. Full-bodied, firm and structured, with a powdery texture to its tannins. A little chewy at the end. Drink or hold.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The sample I received of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard seemed a bit prematurely tired, marked by scents of blueberry, cedar and dried fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it's reasonably velvety but turns a bit coarse on the finish.

Tasting Notes

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is dark and brooding, earthy and layered. Notes of petrichor, cedar box, dusty savory herbs and mountain sage brush exude from the glass. Unmistakably Howell Mountain, its robust and muscular framework is woven delicately
with luscious, velvety tannins to reveal a wine that is both powerful and lifted. Beneath these savory layers are beautifully nuanced aromas of cassis, juicy ripe blackberries and mulberries with perfumy notes of fresh rose petals and lavender that provide yet another level of intrigue and depth to the wine. As the tannins wind their way across the palate, we are left with the impression of total balance and harmony, a wine that is both stoic and poised. 

Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot