2006 Notre Vin Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Napa Valley 750 ml

Extremely Rare, Perfectly Cellared Howell Mountain Beauty

Some of my favorite Napa Cabernets are born from Howell Mountain vines, the likes of Dunn, Robert Foley, La Jota, O'Shaughnessy, Cade, and one of the rarest catches that we are able to offer to-date: this 2006 Notre Vin Howell Mountain Napa Cabernet, which was produced by the late Denis Malbec, former cellarmaster at Château Latour, along with his wife May-Britt. Though Left-Bank-bred, the formidable duo were no strangers to Napa. Malbec had also produced wines for Kapcsandy, Blankiet, Charles Krug, and Anderson Conn Valley. Only 220 cases of the 2006 Notre Vin were produced, half of which May-Britt, held back under lock and key—until now. A library bottle priced at $180, offered to you for just $125 each, all thanks to May-Britt.  

The University of Bordeaux-trained May-Britt, who also dabbled in blending while at Château Latour, penned this tasting note shortly after the release, which offers a stunning snapshot of just where this 2006 beauty began: She found “powerful” aromas “elegant with that typical Howell Mountain minerality along with notes of dark chocolate covered orange peel, thyme, and black cherries followed by aromas of cedar, blackberry seeds, and roses. The wine is rich and concentrated with a fabulous tannic structure, a beautiful balance, and lingering finish.” Today, this wine is gorgeous and alive thanks to Denis and May-Britt’s strict attention to detail, and perfect cellaring—showing more deep earth mingling with dark chocolate and cigar box.   

“This has always been my favorite wine,” May-Britt told me recently. “It might even be the best we made. It takes so long for those wines to come around. It’s drinking superbly well right now.”  

We wholeheartedly agree. The wines have been stored at cellar temperature since bottling and are in mint condition today—and these are the last cases.

Given the fruit source, it’s no surprise the wine displays so brilliantly. Loyal Hughes’ 5-acre Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard was planted in 1991 in Howell Mountain’s most exclusive neighborhood, just across the way from Dunn and near O'Shaughnessy, arguably Howell’s brightest stars, garnering a steady diet of 95-98+ point scores from Robert M. Parker Jr. Nearby Beatty Ranch has attracted the likes of Turley and 100-point Schrader. Today, Parker’s “Long-time master winemaker at Beringer,” Ed Sbragia snatches up clusters from Hughes.

But the reputation of the 5-acre site was already soaring back in the early aughts, with producers like La Jota turning out sensational mountain Cabernets off the property. Not surprisingly, Hughes got carried away too, bottling his own wines and enjoying modest success. But by 2004, sales began to slow, and just as his father had done 50 years before, he pulled the plug on his own brand and went back to selling small-berry Cabernet clusters to the highest bidder.

Around this time, Denis and May-Britt Malbec, who had first made wine together at Latour, were plotting out the next move for their first Napa label. Aptly called Notre Vin (“our wine”) they’d been bottling a Napa Cab since 2003, but when they heard Loyal Hughes’ fruit from Howell might be available, they jumped at the chance and took as much as Hughes was willing to part with.

Entirely sourced from Hughes Vineyard, every grape cluster for this 2006 bottling was hand-picked and gently ushered to the winery in 35-pound yellow picking bins between October 17 and 31 in 2006. After spending three weeks of extended maceration, the inky black juice fermented and was aged for 24 months in 100 percent new French Oak. There was no fining or filtering, with alcohol clocking in at an incredibly modest 13.8%.

Truly special, and not to be missed by lovers of perfectly aged, perfectly cellared, world-class Howell Mountain Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.