2015 HALL Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
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Tasting notes
Very deep purple-black in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain displays compelling earth-inspired and savory notes of black truffles, fertile loam, mossy bark, yeast extract, black olives and sautéed herbs over a core of baked plums, black cherry compote, blackcurrant cordial and dark chocolate plus a waft of lilacs. Full-bodied, super intense and jam-packed with black fruits and earthy layers, it has a firm, grainy frame in the mouth and very long, savory finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain cuvee offers classic Howell Mountain blue fruits as well as lots of intermixed cedary spice, dried flowers and brambly herbs. It's ripe, opulent and deep, with building tannin and the incredible purity that's the hallmark of this estate. It's seriously good. One of the eye-opening tastings while working on this report was the lineup from Kathryn Hall’s estate located in St. Helena. There’s a wealth of wines here, yet they all have deep, concentrated, pure profiles as well as singular characters. You could pretty much randomly select from this lineup and be guaranteed to have a brilliant wine. Hats off to winemaker Steve Leveque. All the 2016s, and the majority of the 2015s, were tasted as barrel samples.
Hall's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain) is another rich, hedonistic wine. Here, too, the balance of fruit and tannin is impressive, especially for a young Cabernet. Black cherry, plum, new French oak, menthol, licorice, savory herbs, earthiness and dark spices are front and center. This is an especially flamboyant, ripe style for Howell Mountain.