VineHouse 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon   

2018 VineHouse Cabernet Sauvignon “Estate” Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 96 Points

Textbook Howell Mountain from start to finish, this juicy-gutsy Cab opens with a flashy medley of sour dark cherry, red currant jelly, black raspberry, toffee, clove, peppery bouillon, black tea leaf, pine forest earth, graphite and laurel scents. It is impressively ripe and reveals classic mountain tannins on the palate, where flavors of laurel, dried sage, cedar, baking spice and star anise underscore a more lavish rush of cherry-berry fruit. The finish is fruity, gutsy, food-balanced and lingering, and everything grows more expressive as the wine airs. Expect at least three more years of significant growth and lots of pleasure long after that. Blended with 15% St. Macaire, 225 cases produced.