Robert Craig Cabernet Howell Mountain 2016

2016 Is All-Time Great Napa Vintage  

Robert Craig Is A Master Of Mountain Napa Cab

This is a great wine where a great vintage comes together with a master craftsmen. The ‘Mountain’ Cabs in Napa have developed their own Cult Following within Napa. The wine tends to have more structure, age out longer and have more of an elegance about them. Robert Craig has built a reputation for showcasing and making some of the finest Mountain Cab in Napa. He makes mountain cabs from Mt Veeder; Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain and the wine I bring you today his most famous, the 2016 Robert Craig Howell Mountain Cabernet. Howell Mountain has proven itself as one of the finest Cabernet designates in the world. Some of the finest Cabs I have ever tasted have come from Howell Mountain.

Todays wine also comes from the great 2016 vintage. The vintage received 98pts by Parker’s WA which is the highest rating he has ever given a Napa vintage. The quality wines from this vintage have sold out years ago. This is a unique opportunity to acquire and great wine from this great vintage from a respected figure in Napa famous for what he does. When compared to prices of other top designated Howell Mountain Cabs, the wine makes even more sense. This wine is produced from Craig’s 9.5-acre estate vineyard, perched along the summit ridge of Howell Mountain at 2300’. This is their flagship release, their defining wine, rare and extraordinary from a superb vineyard. I will be adding this wine to my cellar!

“Tasted as a barrel sample, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is another pure, elegant, classic wine from this estate. Blueberries, tobacco leaf, forest floor and underbrush notes all emerge from medium to full-bodied beauty that has ripe tannin, notable freshness, and again, awesome purity of fruit.” JD

“…Tightly wound and packed, the 2016 is full of energy. Raspberry jam, iron, dried flowers red flowers, mint and white pepper all help give the 2016 a decidedly high-toned profile, but it is the wine’s energy and sense of drive that stand out most.” Vinous

“The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Spring Mountain) is suave, silky and super-polished. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, pomegranate and wild flowers give the 2016 a distinctly exotic quality that is hugely appealing. Medium in body and decidedly gracious, the 2016 speaks to finesse above all else..”…This winery has been consistently excellent throughout my tastings in Napa going back many, many years. They have also kept a lid on pricing, which remains realistic and consumer-friendly.” Parker