2014 HALL Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

A wine of density and weight, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Howell Mountain) is fabulous. Black cherry, graphite, plum, cloves, lavender and licorice are some of the many notes that meld together in this super-expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Steve Leveque has done a terrific job of marrying the distinctive personality of Howell Mountain with the lush expression of fruit that is the single most prominent characteristic shared by all of the Hall Cabernets.

As with the 2015, the base 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a tremendous value. Blueberries, black cherries, licorice and hints of charcoal all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, ripe, opulent red that lacks the sheer grandeur and finesse of the top cuvee, yet packs gorgeous fruit and offers a peek at the quality coming from this estate. The blend is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 50% new French oak. 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.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc) represents the least expensive wine in the Hall portfolio at $55. The color is a saturated purple, and the wine rich, chewy and unctuously textured, with ripe tannin and a round, juicy mouthfeel. For a generic Napa, it has plenty of upside to it and will actually benefit from several more years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years.