Great 2015 Howell Mountain Cabs from Ladera and Duckhorn

Napa Valley isn't a particularly large growing area, but the diversity of soils, mesoclimates and exposures really sets the region apart, and those variations give some of the sub-AVAs of Napa Valley distinct personalities. One of those sub-regions is Howell Mountain. Located in the NE corner of Napa Valley, Howell Mountain is in the Sierra de Napa range. A couple of the primary soil types are a blonde, dusty volcanic 'tufa' or decomposed ash, and more red, iron-rich clay soils. Both types are low in organic matter, so they deliver the small, intensely flavored clusters of fruit that you expect to get from mountain vineyards.

For me, Howell Mountain wines tend to have really rich, intense blackberry and mulberry fruit flavors, and the tan

nins can range from very burly and hard to relatively soft depending on where the wines are grown and how the grapes are treated in the winery.

Here we have two terrific wines that show how wines from the same vintage on Howell Mountain can have a lot in common and still be quite different.

Ladera 2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Napa Valley ($115) This win

e is just dynamite, and quite memorable. It delivers the brambly black fruit that you want from Howell Mountain, but it also has incredible grace and elegance and will age nicely for another ten years. What I really love about this wine is that it's a top estate offering from a winery that isn't just MORE ripe, MORE oaky, MORE alcohol. This one's balanced, composed, and frankly, epic. (97 Points)


Duckhorn 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Napa Valley ($100) Another winner from the same vintage, this offering from Duckhorn is more in the plush, ready-to-drink style that Duckhorn does so well. Like most all Duckhorn wines, it's very easy to love and very well made. It's loaded with delicious mulberry and blackberry fruit, but it's a bit more luscious and the tannins are softer. It's delicious now and will go another 5 years, but I wouldn't hold onto it forever - go ahead and enjoy it with a great steak. (95 Points) 

Nellcôte Wines from Napa Valley

Nellcôte is the passion project of Tyler Olbres, a former communications director for several apparel and footwear brands. He is now chasing the upper end of the Napa Valley price spectrum, and the red wines are pretty impressive. He sources fruit from some coveted benchland and hillside vineyards. There are some Formula One racing references in the proprietary wine names. He wisely tapped the very talented Phillip Corallo-Titus of Chappellet and Titus fame to be his winemaker / consultant.

 I was rightly impressed with the Cabernets, even though they carry a very ambitious price tag for a novel Napa brand. Very tastefully executed, and better than many from the valley at similar price points.


Nellcôte 2015 '500 Chevaux' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($125) A very fine Napa Cabernet made by winemakers Phillip Carallo-Titus (Chappellet) and Ry Richards, it has a lively, fresh nose of violet and rose petals, and rich mulberry and black currant fruit, graceful licorice, vanilla, espresso and gravelly mineral notes that let you know this isn't valley floor fruit. The name '500 Chevaux' translates to '500 horses,' in reference to a typical Formula One race car. The alcohol clocks in at 14.8%, which isn't too high for a Napa Cab in this league. I appreciate the freshness that this wine shows, and it bodes well for its longevity. (94 points)

Nellcôte 2015 'Rallye 76' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($225) The flagship has a bit more Petit Verdot in the blend and has a tad more plushness, intensity, and cohesiveness. As lively as it is intense, it shows rose, lilac, coriander spice and espresso notes on the nose, and focused blueberry, black currant, tar, gravel, and licorice flavors through the long, grippy finish. It's less sappy and more precise than so many high end Napa Cabs these days. It's great to taste a wine in this league that has real finesse, as I've noted in my reviews of Dalla Valle right here at Modern Wine. (95 Points)

Nellcôte 2017 Rose Mount Veeder Napa Valley ($60) The rose is a blend of 51% Malbec and 49% Syrah from Bald Mountain Ranch on Mt. Veeder in the Southwestern corner of Napa Valley. It's fairly dark orange-pink in color and I'm not sure I really get it. The nose isn't very floral or really all that fragrant. It does have nice guava and cherry fruit flavors in the mid-palate, but it wants more acidity on the finish. An interesting wine, but not really what I'm looking for in a rose, and my inclination wouldn't be to look to these grape varieties to make a high-end rose. (84 Points)

- Tim Teichgraeber

 

 

Review: Dutton Estate 2015 Cherry Ridge Vineyard Syrah Russian River Valley, Sonoma County ($54)

Dutton Estate is primarily known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but this estate-grown cool climate, Russian River Valley Syrah is pretty impressive. It's pure, balanced, and charming with lively framboise, blueberry and violet aromas and fresh blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors. It's lightly, subtly oaked, and at only 13.2% alcohol it's restrained and refreshing. It's just perfectly ripe and not over-worked. Highly recommended. (93 Points) 
Link to technical notes and more info about the wine

Review: Duckhorn 2015 Atlas Peak Merlot ($75)

If you're a fan of Merlot, you're probably a fan of Duckhorn, a Napa brand that has been a tireless advocate of the variety. I really appreciate that Duckhorn has several Merlot offerings from different parts of Napa Valley, including Three Palms vineyard in Calistoga (in the northern part of the valley), another one from cooler Carneros at the southern end of the valley, and this hillside gem from Atlas Peak in the southeastern quadrant of Napa Valley. This one is less concentrated than Three Palms, and really reflects the cooler climate of the mountain with fresh violet and dried rose notes, juicy plum, raspberry and stony, tarry mineral notes imparted by the thin hillside soils. Only 485 cases produced. (94 points) 

Review: Stewart 2015 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($50)

The color of this wine is so deep purple that it's almost too saturated for Pinot Noir, and the richness lasts through the intense first blackberry flavors, but then there's a decent amount of acid and tangy red fruit and brambly notes to bring it back into focus. My initial impression was that it's kind of heavy-handed, but by the second glass, I have to confess... it's growing on me. (90 Points)

Robert Lloyd Chardonnays: 2015 Prescription Chardonnay and 2016 Lloyd Carneros Chardonnay Review

2015 Prescription Chardonnay Clarksburg, CA ($20) Rob Lloyd (Loyd Cellars, also worked at La Crema, Rombauer) makes this wine from a vineyard in Clarksburg (near Lodi in the Central Valley / Delta neighborhood) owned by James Reamer. It's a bombastic, fruit-driven Chardonnay with exotic papaya, apricot, nectarine, and citrus flavors, good body, and tons of flavor. It's also unoaked, so it doesn't have those toast and vanilla notes that would just be 'piling on' if they were there. It may have just a bit of residual sugar, but it's not sweet, just a legit fruitbomb. It reminds me a bit of Newton's 'Unfiltered' Napa Valley Chardonnay. I personally prefer a leaner, racier style, but I can see a lot of people appreciating this white, and some will absolutely love it. 88 Points

2016 Lloyd Chardonnay Carneros ($40) This one is a little more by-the-book in style, a little more restrained, and probably more sophisticated by most measures. It's very fine quality with fuji apple, apricot and white peach fruit notes, well-integrated, creamy oak, plenty of flavor and a mellow, balanced finish. It's very much a Chardonnay for California Chardonnay lovers - sunny and generous, but it also is subtle and balanced. It won't dissapoint. 91 Points

Review: Balletto 2015 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($28)

Winemaker Anthony Beckman takes a less-is-more approach with this lightly-oaked Chardonnay and lets the quality of the estate grown grapes shine through. Subtle toast and cinnamon aromas mingle with fresh, lively apple and cantaloupe fruit flavors with hints of lavender and fennel on the finish. This is subtle, beautiful Chardonnay. (92 Points)

Review: Villa Maria 2015 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough NZ

I've always had a soft spot for this wine. For me, it's a reliable, precisely dialed-in NZ Sauvignon Blanc that has those zesty grapefruit and gooseberry notes that you expect, but it isn't as aggressively vegetal as some, leaning more toward the sweet pink grapefruit and passion fruit end of the spectrum with pretty kaffir lime leaf notes. It's superb with goat or mild Alpine semi-soft cheeses, fresh oysters or ceviche.(92 Points)