Howell Mountain
Wine producers who source grapes and farm grapes on Napa’s Howell Mountain were already well positioned for the drought conditions presented by the 2021 vintage.
Situated above the fog line and planted on mountainous slopes that are naturally well-draining, prime vineyards in Howell Mountain often produce lower yields of small berry clusters – all made even more pronounced by the lack of precipitation in 2021.
From bud break and flowering to bloom, fruit set, and veraison, everything came in ahead of schedule and offered producers the luxury of a weeks-long harvesting window.
Most producers in this AVA are used to the kind of canopy management that helps tame the powerful tannic structure and deep fruit concentration that vines growing here provide.
The savviest producers were well positioned to take advantage of the additional depth of fruit offered up in the 2021 harvest, resulting in typically muscular reds that showcase impressive length and robust, pixelated tannins.
Scroll down for the top-scoring Howell & Diamond Mountain 2021 Cabernets
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gdG8gMiwyMDAgZmVldCAoMTIyIHRvIDY3MSBtZXRyZXMpPC9wPgo8cD4KPC9kaXY+PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0nYnJlYWtvdXQtYnV0dG9ucyc+PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0ncm93Jz48L2Rpdj48L2Rpdj48L2Rpdj48L2Rpdj4KPGhyPgo8aDM+RGlhbW9uZCBNb3VudGFpbiAyMDIxOiB0aGUgdG9wLXBlcmZvcm1pbmcgcHJvZHVjZXJzOjwvaDM+Cjx1bD4KPGxpPkRpYW1vbmQgQ3JlZWsgVmluZXlhcmRzPC9saT4KPGxpPjxzcGFuIHN0eWxlPSJmb250LXdlaWdodDogNDAwIj5LaW5zbWFuIEVhZGVzPC9zcGFuPjwvbGk+CjxsaT48c3BhbiBzdHlsZT0iZm9udC13ZWlnaHQ6IDQwMCI+SkggV2hlZWxlcjwvc3Bhbj48L2xpPgo8L3VsPgo8dWw+CjxsaSBzdHlsZT0ibGlzdC1zdHlsZS10eXBlOiBub25lIj48ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSJicmVha291dCBwYWxldHRlLWEgcGFuZWwgcGFuZWwtZGVmYXVsdCI+PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0icGFuZWwtYm9keSI+PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0nYnJlYWtvdXQtY29udGVudCc+PHA+PC9wPgo8aDMgc3R5bGU9InRleHQtYWxpZ246IGNlbnRlciI+Q3Jpc3RhbGRp4oCZcyB2YWx1ZSBwaWNrcyBmcm9tIHRoZXNlIE1vdW50YWluIGFwcGVsbGF0aW9uczo8L2gzPgo8cCBzdHlsZT0idGV4dC1hbGlnbjogY2VudGVyIj48c3Ryb25nPkJsYWNrIFN0YWxsaW9uIEVzdGF0ZSBXaW5lcnksIENvbGxlY3RvciBFZGl0aW9uIENhYmVybmV0IFNhdXZpZ25vbiwgSG93ZWxsIE1vdW50YWluLCAyMDIxIDwvc3Ryb25nPjwvcD4KPHAgc3R5bGU9InRleHQtYWxpZ246IGNlbnRlciI+PHN0cm9uZz5PbGVhbmRyaSwgQ2FiZXJuZXQgU2F1dmlnbm9uLCBIb3dlbGwgTW91bnRhaW4sIDIwMjEgPC9zdHJvbmc+PC9wPgo8cCBzdHlsZT0idGV4dC1hbGlnbjogY2VudGVyIj48c3Ryb25nPkRpYW1vbmQgQ3JlZWsgVmluZXlhcmRzLCBUaHJlZSBWaW5leWFyZCBCbGVuZCwgRGlhbW9uZCBNb3VudGFpbiwgMjAyMSA8L3N0cm9uZz48L3A+CjxwIHN0eWxlPSJ0ZXh0LWFsaWduOiBjZW50ZXIiPjxzdHJvbmc+RGF2aWVzIFZpbmV5YXJkcywgSi4gRGF2aWVzIEVzdGF0ZSwgRGlhbW9uZCBNb3VudGFpbiwgMjAyMTwvc3Ryb25nPjwvcD4KPHAgc3R5bGU9InRleHQtYWxpZ246IGNlbnRlciI+PHN0cm9uZz5NYXRlcnJhLCBDdW5hdCBGYW1pbHkgVmluZXlhcmRzLCBEaWFtb25kIE1vdW50YWluIFJlc2VydmUsIERpYW1vbmQgTW91bnRhaW4sIDIwMjE8L3N0cm9uZz48L3A+CjxwIHN0eWxlPSJ0ZXh0LWFsaWduOiBjZW50ZXIiPjxzdHJvbmc+QmFsZGFjY2kgRmFtaWx5IFZpbmV5YXJkcywgRGlhbW9uZCBNb3VudGFpbiBEaXN0cmljdCBDYWJlcm5ldCBTYXV2aWdub24sIERpYW1vbmQgTW91bnRhaW4sIDIwMjE8L3N0cm9uZz48L3A+CjxwPgo8L2Rpdj48ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSdicmVha291dC1idXR0b25zJz48ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSdyb3cnPjwvZGl2PjwvZGl2PjwvZGl2PjwvZGl2PjwvcD4KPC9saT4KPC91bD4KPHA+Cg=="}
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Howell & Diamond Mountain 2021: the top-scoring Cabernets
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