2010 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Full medium ruby. Cassis, blueberry, licorice, violet and pepper on the nose. Juicy, spicy and tightly wound, conveying a distinctly imploded quality to the flavors of blue fruits, menthol, minerals and pepper. The tannins are big, broad and a bit youthfully tough, but there's sneaky length here and piquant finishing notes of violet and minerals. For the cellar.
Critic scores
Average Score
The Wine Advocate
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(less than 200 cases made): Good full ruby. Distinctly rocky aromas and flavors of blueberry, minerals and smoke lifted by a minty topnote. Rich, serious and very deep; impressively chewy and tactile, with the rocky character carrying through in the mouth. Finishes youthfully tight, with substantial tongue-dusting tannins and a restrained sweetness. This has been a superb bottling virtually since its first commercial release, the 2005. (ST) 93+
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard has a bit more depth and power than the straight Howell Mountain bottling, yet at the same time, it remains medium in body and less explosive than Outpost fans are used to. Scents of violets, menthol and melted road swirl around in the glass, adding complexity and nuance to the dark fruit. An inward wine, the 2010 needs at least a few years in bottle to fully come together. (AG)
Outpost's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain shows good depth and fine balance in the restrained style that is typical of the year on Howell Mountain. Tobacco, licorice, mint and black fruit are some of the many notes in the glass. Today, the 2010 doesn't quite have the pure palate presence of the very finest vintages. If the wine blossoms in bottle, though, it may merit a higher rating.