Clark-Claudon Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley 2011

SUBJECT: Library Raid! Howell Mountain Cabernet!

…And the hits just keep coming!!! We’re hopping into the Last Bottle Way Back Machine (patent pending) and taking you back to Napa Valley, 2011. A cool, wet and challenging year that severely affected yields and fruit integrity along the valley floor where the Bay Area’s famous fog seemed to never dissipate – blanketing the valley floor in a grey, dull haze for weeks at a time… But we’re talking HOWELL MOUNTAIN, here, folks! 2,000 feet up, way above the fog, this is where I’d head to seek the sunshine! It was warmer up there (which is rare) and brighter, and windier – allowing vineyards to escape much of the challenges the rest of the valley faced. But the ABILITY TO AGE!!! That is the true hallmark of the best 2011s from Napa. Year after year, these wines just get better and better – even surpassing the “perfect” season of 2012 in the minds of many collectors. Probably the most old-school, Bordeaux-esque of any Napa vintage in the past few decades…there are some truly monumental finds to be had for the savvy shopper…JUST. LIKE. THIS!!!

WINE #4 — 

Howell Mountain cabernet from the Clark-Claudon estate at the northern pinnacle of Howell, is a bit of a local’s secret. The Clark Family is best known as vineyard managers – Howell Mountain specialists and a favorite partner of Thomas Rivers Brown. This is the estate flagship, perfectly aged and ready to blow your mind! Rockstar winemaker Jean Hoefliger (Alpha Omega, The Debate) is at the helm, making full-throttle wines in his signature style. Sumptuous dark cherries, followed by an explosion of baked plums, decadent chocolate and toasty, heady spices. The complexities continue into tobacco, bay leaf, creme de cassis, and blackberry jam that lead into a harmoniously balanced, yet powerfully rich finish. This is SEXY, powerful and sleek cabernet at the very peak of its prowess. Nearly 50% below the winery price just to sweeten this already superb deal! Do ya’ thang!!!