Generous. Silky. Potent. Heady.

All key words we love to see in wine descriptions. Also, “Howell Mountain” on a bottle makes our hearts go pitter patter. Throw in a few good scores (92 and 93) then drop the price by 40% we just about go into an uncontrolled frenzy.

At its release price of $60 the value is already baked in, especially when you consider most Howell Mountain wines go for $75-150+. Obviously, we could do better. So, we begged and pleaded, prodded, and poked until it hurt, and they let us drop that to $36. MUCH better!

Bravante has one of the coolest named winemakers around - Duane Dappen, and as an alum of Frank Family, Rombauer and Grgich, he has the chops to work this mountain fruit into a boisterous, unrestrained tour de force. This blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc is nothing short of explosive. Still rugged, but gaining polish with six years in the bottle, it’s pumped full of deep, dark black fruit and savory elements. Blackberry jam for days, black cherry, and cassis along with sweet soil, smoked meats, and savory herbs all wrapped up in a band of vanilla and oak. Mouthcoating, teeth staining, and full bodied but still seamless and balanced front to back.

Anyone who loves full-throttle reds should be all over this one. Heavily discounted Howell Mountain wines tend to have a short half-life around here though. Don’t be late!

93 Points - James Suckling

“A red with a generous amount of dark-berry and chocolate character, full body, round and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Hints of walnuts. Drink now.”

92 Points - Wine & Spirits

“Black cherry aromas lead to a palate of red currant, dill and sage. Trademark Howell Mountain minerality leads a full, balanced finish. Forget it in a decanter for an hour or two, and when you come back to it, you’ll find the volcanic soils more clearly expressed in the wine’s tannins, as they shape and detail the heady, rich black-cherry fruit.”