Taste: In the glass, this wine reveals a rich mulberry color with the fragrance of violets and cassis. The nose quickly opens to aromas of ripe plums and savory roasts with a subtle background of cigar box. On the palate, juicy and penetrating flavors of currants, rose petals, and earth layered with an opulence of wild dark fruits break through. Perfectly balanced—with bold acidity, a full body, and classic Howell Mountain fruit—this superior Cabernet will continue to age with great poise over the next 20 years. In the meantime, decant for an hour or more.
Cameron Confidential: In this economic environment, more and more wineries are presenting their wines to us, so one could say that as the economy gets worse, our selection gets better. Lot 143 is one of the first acquisitions of Sam Spencer, our new winemaker, after originally bringing us Lots 1 and 2 back in 2003. Sam has focused on stepping outside of traditional brokerage channels to find the upper-echelon wines that tiptoe around the frenzy of the wine-sourcing market.
This lot in particular has been nothing less than mind-blowing. It comes from a $95 per bottle program, so with a little fine-tuning by Sam it has become one of the best wines we offer at $22 per bottle. We just submitted it for reviews and should have the results by the end of 2009. I would be shocked if it scored anything less than 92 points. The grower group responsible for this wine has consistently scored in the mid-90s, and with 2007 being one of the best years that Napa has seen, this wine will be viewed as truly exceptional—which it is.
Lot 143
2007 Howell Mountain District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vintage: 2007
- Appellation: Howell Mountain District Napa Valley
- Grape: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Tempranillo, 4% Syrah
- Alcohol by volume: 14.9%
- Production: 1,022 cases
- Release date: October 13, 2009
- Drink/Hold: Now through 2029
Downloads
- Lot 143 small notes (pdf)
- Lot 143 8.5 x 11 (pdf)
