2014 Chad Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Napa Valley 750 ml

One of Chad’s Greatest Values to Date

When Chad told us about the call he got from White Cottage Road — about the mountainside winery that had $125/bottle Cabernet to spare — he had our full attention. Was it Cade? O’Shaughnessy? Of course Chad wouldn’t tell, but when he poured us four ounces from a heavy, tapered bottle, we needed no further convincing. The color was PITCH-black. The nose showed the unique aromatic profile of top-flight Howell Mountain Cabernet. The attack was rich and sappy, with a seductive mix of blackberry jam, dark plum, licorice, and cloves, all braced by palate-staining mountain tannins. We were sold. The 2014 Chad Howell Mountain is comprised of 100% estate-grown Cabernet, drawn from volcanic-soil vineyards set well above the fog line, between 1,500 and 2,000 feet in elevation. At just $32/bottle, this is one of Chad’s greatest values to date.

While our buddy couldn’t tell us the name of the winery where he got his blockbuster 2014, Chad did share some supporting details: The estate-grown Cabernet was treated to aggressive crop-thinning in July and August, yielding just over 3 tons per acre that were harvested at the estate, slightly less than 2013, but still approximately 30% more than the norm.

Hand-picked, hand-sorted, and destemmed, the (iconic) winemaker treated the Cabernet to a 5-day cold soak, leaching out extract and that pitch-black color. The wine was then transferred to French oak barrels, 50% of which were new, where it was left to age for 18 months.