Atlas Peak Vineyards

Inky black, as you would expect from Howell Mountain grown fruit, this is a big, dark wine with black fruit and also, as one would anticipate, tar, licorice and dried sage aromas (the latter, a smell increasingly synonymous with Howell Mountain Cabs). But in the mouth, the wine is smooth, finesseful and velvet-like but with that Howell power packing a punch.

This is one of the wines in Atlas Peak Winery’s “high elevation” Cabernet program (See related story and review of the Spring Mountain Cab). Of the four wines, it is the one with the most of everything. It’s simply gorgeous and young with big, big tannins. One would be strongly advised to hold it three years or so and then enjoy it over the ensuing 25 years.

The wine spent 18 months in 100 percent new French oak barrels (one of a decreasing number of Napa Valley Cabs to do so). The listed alcohol is 13.9 percent (conversely, one of an increasing number of valley Cabs to fall under the 14 percent mark), and there were only 287 cases produced.

Reviewed November 22, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb.