WARNING: Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
2011 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN
Howell Mountain AVA is so unique because it is a floating AVA - yep that's right - only vineyards above 1,400 feet qualify to be called Howell Mountain - otherwise, they only fall in Napa Valley or PERHAPS ONLY... Napa County - Yikes!!!! So any vineyard at 1,200 feet isn't in this AVA even if it is right next to my grapes and owned by the same owner. Isn't that a quandary?
Something else that's really neat about Howell Mountain is this... It's Napa Valley's first and oldest AVA. That's right! It was the very first AVA set to paper proving that something extraordinary was happening up there in the vineyards, in the forests where these grapes grow. It's pretty isolated and quite scary to be sampling grapes out there... all alone... Lions.. and ... Tigers... and... Bears... OH MY!!
Here is a little more detailed information - it is roughly about 14,000 acres total because of the elevation, the climate here is characterized by moderate temperatures that are cooler than in most other parts of the valley. The soils of this area are mostly well-drained tuff and volcanic rock. Water retention is poor, producing vines with low vigor and deep roots.