This is a young wine, a very young wine. It is not a pop-and-pour, and won’t be for a decade or more. It took a full 24 hours with an open bottle before it started to unwind. Once it did, though, the patience was well-rewarded. The powerful nose is redolent with black currant, eucalyptus, and tobacco leaf. Black fruit, black currant, black plum leads, black cherry follows, all supported by sweet remarkably tight tannins. Black tea, leather, tobacco and eucalyptus all leak out around the edges an linger on the finish. Even with a full day of air, this has more to offer. If you really need to drink it now, decant aggressively as far ahead of time as possible. It would be better, though, to put it in the cellar with a time lock set for 2025. Drink well aged, with dry-aged beef. Highly Recommended. 94 points. DBH.
WHO: Howell Mountain Vineyards
WHAT: Cabernet Sauvignon
WHERE: California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
WHEN: 2010
HOW MUCH: $75 (media sample)