Ratings & Tasting Notes:

93-96 points Vinous

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Hillside Blend comes across as a bit fleshier than it did last year. Still in barrel, the 2014 is not perfectly representative today. Given how the other wines in this tasting show, I expect all the 2014 needs some oxygenation to clean up the aromatics. (AG)

94 points Wine Advocate
Review Date: 10/2016
The 2014 Proprietary Red Hillside Blend Howell Mountain (70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot) is a beauty. With notes of mulberry jam, blackcurrants, subtle barbecue smoke and graphite all present in this wine, it has terrific minerality, gorgeous density, and an intense, full-bodied mouthfeel, superb purity and length. (RP)

Cult Wines International Notes:

Moone-Tsai Vineyards is an ultra-premium, boutique winery in Napa Valley founded by MaryAnn Tsai and Larry Moone. The winery operates on a philosophy of combining old-world finesse with the modern power of world-class Napa fruit. Their goal is to craft small-lot wines that are rich, age-worthy, and expressive of the region’s finest terroirs.

The Founding and Philosophy
The partnership began with a shared passion for high-quality wine and a vision of creating a legacy brand. The winemaking is overseen by Philippe Melka, one of the world’s most acclaimed consulting winemakers, who guides their strategy to source and blend exceptional fruit. Moone-Tsai’s wines are often described as having a seamless balance, capturing the intensity of mountain fruit while maintaining a luxurious texture.

The Howell Mountain Terroir:
Howell Mountain is one of Napa Valley’s most esteemed hillside appellations, sitting well above the valley floor fog line. The grapes benefit from warmer nights (due to being above the inversion layer) and cooler, sunnier days than the valley floor. The soils are predominantly thin, rocky, and volcanic (red tufa), which naturally stress the vines. This stress results in small berries with extremely thick skins, leading to wines that are exceptionally dark in color, highly structured, and rich in polyphenols and tannins.

Tasting Profile and Structure:
This Hillside Blend exhibits a profile of intense black and blue fruits (blackcurrant, blueberry pie, black plum), underscored by savory notes of crushed rock, cedar box, tobacco leaf, and cocoa powder. The wine is full-bodied with a substantial mouthfeel, framed by firm, chewy tannins that are balanced by the ripeness of the 2014 fruit. This is a wine built for the cellar, promising favorable aging potential over the next 10 to 20 years.

Bottle Size:

750 mL

Storage History:

Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.

Condition:

Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.

Outstanding condition.