Howell Mountain veteran Mike Beatty has lost many an old vine zin berry to a particular black bear, proving at least that the bear has discriminating taste: wines made with Black Sears Vineyard fruit are perennial high scorers.
Growing wines of distinctionin the wilds of Howell Mountain
By Steve PitcherIt's no secret that mountain winegrowing presents difficulties not faced by valley floor growers - slopes and exposures, for example, compared to a relatively flat growing surface. Up in the hills there are also animals that one rarely, if ever, encounters down in the valley (except for deer, of course, which are ubiquitous); these mountain denizens have big teeth and sharp claws. On Howell Mountain, cougars are on the prowl and bears can make a nuisance of themselves.
Mike Beatty, who's lived and farmed on the mountain since the 1970s, tells of one particular black bear - easily identifiable because it was minus a claw on one paw - that frequently dined on the premium zinfandel grapes he tends in the Black Sears Vineyard near the highest point on the mountain in northeastern Napa Valley. Hoping for relief, Beatty summoned Napa County Animal Services, and a control officer lured the bear into a culvert trap and trucked it away. The next harvest, the same bear was back in the Black Sears Vineyard munching away. This scenario was repeated the next two harvests, and finally Beatty asked the animal control officer where he took the bear. "To Lake County," the officer replied, where the bear was let loose.
Turned out that when tourist season got underway in that nearby county and the bear became bothersome, Lake County Animal Control would trap it and truck the grape-loving bruin to rural Pope Valley, just east of Howell Mountain, and turn it loose. The bear would then find its way back up the eastern flank of the mountain to Black Sears Vineyard and resume feasting. You have to admire such fruit loyalty. Though with grapes like these, it's no wonder.
Weather conditions also differentiate mountain vineyards from valley floor sites. Fog, which often blankets San Francisco - much to the consternation of tourists when the rest of the country is basking in high summer sun - also blankets the Napa Valley most summer mornings until about noon.
From the vantage point of the modest shopping plaza in Angwin at 9 a.m. under clear skies and brilliant sunshine just before Labor Day, Napa Valley down below seems to resemble a great basin filled to overflowing with billowing, whitish-gray meringue. Yet once the low-lying fog burns off, "Daytime temperatures from May through September are as much as ten degrees lower on the mountain than those of the valley," Beatty explains. "This protects the vines from the heat stress that typically weakens the grapes' acidity."
At night, Howell Mountain is usually warmer than the valley floor because warm air from there rises in the afternoon and evening. Additionally, cold night air runs down the mountain, much like water drains downhill. "This allows vines up here to reach a temperature of 55 degrees, at which photosynthesis can occur, almost as soon as the sun is up. The result is a longer growing day on the mountain - as much as three more hours of sunlight - with the vineyards enjoying both morning and afternoon sun," Beatty continues. "But the real climatic distinction is the fog line, which dictates the amount of solar radiation available to the grapes maturing on the vines," he notes.
The resulting wines are, indeed, distinctive. Those who make wine here generally agree that the aromatic descriptor of raw red meat frequently marks Howell Mountain reds (some say it comes from extended contact of the juice and lees - spent yeast cells - during fermentation). It's remarkable, too, how often the unmistakable, appealing scent of violets shows up in these wines.
Beatty led the petition effort that persuaded the federal bureau with jurisdiction to grant appellation status to Howell Mountain. The Howell Mountain AVA was recognized in 1984, the first region to win such status since the Napa Valley AVA was named the year before.
The fog line - technically an inversion layer, the elevation above which fog typically does not rise during the summer growing season - forms the minimum altitude of the AVA. "We determined that [boundary] to be 1,400 feet above sea level," Beatty notes. It wasn't entirely a scientific process. "A group of Howell Mountain wine folks met at Beatty Ranch one dark and rainy night, spread out a topographic relief map, and anchored it with bottles of Howell Mountain Zinfandel, of course!" he recalls.
Beatty owns the Beatty Ranch Vineyard, and with Jerre Sears and Joyce Black Sears, who own the high-elevation (2,400 feet) Black Sears Vineyard, was until recently co-proprietor of Howell Mountain Vineyards, which was established in 1988. Both vineyards include old vine, head-pruned zinfandel - many of the Beatty Ranch vines date to 1912 - and younger plantings of cabernet sauvignon. Both vineyards' zinfandel grapes are in very high demand.
"Unlike the valley floor, we rarely get heat spikes up here" - several days in a row with temperatures over 100 degrees, which can cause the vines to close down. "Our growing season is long, comparatively cool and even," Beatty explains. "The lack of stress allows the grapes to retain their refreshing acidity, while the longer hours of moderately warm sunshine provide the wines' strength and body."
Beatty and the Sears sold the Howell Mountain Vineyard brand, along with the inventory, last November to Rutherford Bench LLC, comprising members of the Chow family - Peter, his son Zelock and Zelock's wife, Victoria Speach - while retaining the vineyards. The Chows have a multi-year contract to buy fruit from the two vineyards and have a permit to build a 20,000-gallon winery and tasting room on the valley floor off Highway 29, just across the road from Cakebread Cellars between Oakville and Rutherford. They've hired Orin Swift Cellars' proprietor Dave Phinney as winemaker, and will benefit from a three-year, mutually renewable consultancy from Mike Beatty.
Despite its mountain nomenclature, the Howell Mountain AVA - between 1,400 and 2,890 feet in elevation - is more accurately described as a high, rolling plateau with vineyards carved out of thick forests of oak, pine and fir. No one can point to a peak on the mountain. From Randy Dunn's low-flying aircraft, it becomes obvious rather quickly
that there are few really steep hillsides here, such as those that dot the Diamond Mountain District on
the western side of the valley, and exposures are quite varied.
Howell Mountain is located northeast of St. Helena, above the Silverado Trail, between Napa Valley to the west and Pope Valley to the east. At the only stoplight on the Silverado Trail, Deer Park Road heading east and White Cottage Road continuing generally eastward provide access to the heart of the appellation. There are 14,000 acres within the AVA, although fewer than 600 are currently planted to producing vines - less than the planted acreage on the mountain in the 1890s. From the air, however, it is evident that there is considerable vineyard development in the works, so such acreage is certain to increase.
As will the number of wineries, of which, with the completion of Dennis Johns' White Cottage Ranch Winery in Angwin last September and Outpost Winery higher up on Summit Lake Drive shortly thereafter, there are now at least eleven. A couple, including the Bravante Winery with cave storage, are currently under construction, and at least two others in vineyards on the mountain - one owned by PlumpJack and another by Duckhorn - are either in the planning stage or slated for renovation.
Like majestic Mount St. Helena to the northwest, Howell Mountain was the result of volcanic activity, although it was not a volcano itself. "Angwin isn't in a caldera," Johns notes. "That's a [local] myth." Rather, the mountain was formed by tectonic activity that pushed it up from below. It is, however, covered by vast quantities of pale tuff (white volcanic ash that has been compressed over time). Red and brown volcanic loam and iron-rich, red clay complete the soil profile.
"These soils are nutrient-poor, thus stressing the vines to produce intense wine from small clusters of berries," Beatty explains. "Our soils are completely different from the rich, alluvial soils of the Napa Valley, where crop thinning and canopy management are necessary to control vigorous growth. With our thin, rocky, well-drained top soils, vigor is naturally limited up here."
White Cottage Ranch's Johns observes: "Climate is really more important than the soils. The extended growing season on Howell Mountain is the key to quality. The fruit gets a chance to ripen later in the season, and this adds to the supple tannins." He adds wryly, "We drink what we can, and sell the rest."
Zinfandel was the engine that drove the mountain's reputation for excellent wines for most of its winegrowing history. The earliest plantings were mostly zinfandel, Napa's grape of choice in the late 1800s, and still an important variety today and the source of some of the mountain's very best wines. Notoriety came as early as 1889, when a Howell Mountain red wine - undoubtedly Zinfandel - from the three-story Howell Mountain Winery built in 1886 by French émigrés Jean Brun and Jean Chaix, took a bronze medal in the International Wine Competition at the Paris Exposition. A "Claret" - likely Zinfandel, too - from neighboring Liparita Winery, built by W. F. Keyes in 1880, won the Grand Prize at the 1900 Paris Exposition.
Both Howell Mountain Winery and Liparita became "ghost wineries" in the 1930s in the wake of Prohibition, as did nearby La Jota Winery, which dates to 1898. Of the three, only the original Liparita Winery on Los Posadas Road, just outside Angwin, still languishes today as a silent relic of the past, while the Liparita brand of Napa Valley wines, produced elsewhere, keeps the name alive.
The venerable Brun- and Chaix-owned winery, with its massive, 30-inch-thick stone walls, has been restored at great expense by proprietors Pat and Anne Stotesbery as a fully operational gravity-flow winery, and is now home to Ladera Vineyards, a gently rolling, 185-acre estate with some 75 acres planted to vines at elevations from 1,600 to 1,800 feet above sea level. The property line along White Cottage Road is dotted by dozens of Italian cypress trees, lending a Tuscan flair to the estate. Ladera (Spanish for hillside or slope), which focuses on Cabernet production under the direction of winemaker Karen Culler - about 1,200 cases from the estate Howell Mountain vineyard and 1,900 cases from its Lone Canyon Vineyard on Mount Veeder - is one of Howell Mountain's most accessible for visitors with an appointment.
The Stotesberys came to Howell Mountain by way of Montana, where they operated a sizeable cattle ranch in Big Sky country for several years. They sold the ranch but, says Pat, current president of the Howell Mountain Vintners & Growers Association, "I don't miss it. This is still agriculture, and it has totally replaced ranching for me."
La Jota, which was owned by Markham Vineyards from 2001 until last November, when it was acquired by Jess Jackson for the Artisans & Estates Vineyards & Wineries portfolio, has also been resuscitated as a boutique winery. Current annual production is about 4,000 cases of varietal Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and, until recently, Petite Sirah from the 29 acres of vines on the 41-acre estate, which is not open to the public. Both Ladera and La Jota today boast man-made caves for barrel storage.
Christopher Carpenter, the winemaker at Cardinale and Lokoya, has had La Jota added to his responsibilities for Artisans & Estates, and will continue to use the boutique facility for production. "Part of the story of La Jota is the use of this 120-year-old facility for modern winemaking," Carpenter says. "In fact, we are preparing to redesign the cellar space around the old winery design to augment the type and style of winemaking we want to do here. We will focus on Bordeaux varieties from La Jota's estate vineyards - cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot," he continues. Apparently the 2002 Petite Sirah was La Jota's last, because the previous owner pulled out those vines after that vintage. Carpenter also plans to remove and replant three blocks of cabernet sauvignon that are on their last legs due to phylloxera.
While Zinfandel launched Howell Mountain as a wine region, and continues to be the passion of such producers within and outside the AVA as Howell Mountain Vineyards, Lamborn Family Vineyards, Summit Lake Winery, Elyse Winery and D-Cubed Cellars, today the majority of the AVA's vineyards, like La Jota's, are planted to Bordeaux varieties, particularly cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. New plantings also tend to favor these three.
One of the first to focus on quality Cabernet Sauvignon was Randy Dunn who, with his wife, Lori, bought and revived a five-acre cabernet vineyard on Howell Mountain in 1978, with financial assistance from the owners of Caymus Vineyards in Rutherford, for which he was then making wine. His inaugural 1979 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon garnered much critical acclaim and attracted consumers' attention to Howell Mountain as a source for outstanding Cabernet.
In 1991, by then devoting full time to his own winery, Dunn bought the nearby historic, 47-acre Park-Muscatine vineyard with 15 acres planted to zinfandel, carignane and petite sirah. This was the principal vineyard from which Paul Draper purchased grapes to make many memorable vintages of Ridge Zinfandel variously labeled "Howell Mountain" and "Park-Muscatine Vineyard" in the 1980s. Dunn replanted it mostly to cabernet. >
"It was basically a matter of economics," Dunn admits. "In those days, a winery could get maybe $7 to $10 for a bottle of Zin, but a Cab would sell for $15 to $25 or more. And besides, my expertise was with Cabernet rather than Zinfandel, and Cab was what I wanted to make." As an aside, he revealed he still makes a small quantity of Petite Sirah from the vineyard for home consumption.
Randy Dunn's massively proportioned, complex and concentrated Cabernets - one designated Howell Mountain, the other Napa Valley - are widely considered to be among Napa's greatest wines. His winemaking style has remained consistent all these years. "I'll continue to make tannic wines - wines of maximum extraction," Dunn asserts, "because we have the right fruit for that style of long-lived wine on this mountain. But I don't want hot alcohols, so I harvest at a reasonable Brix, and will decrease the alcohol as necessary by various methods to achieve balance." His Cabs spend two and a half years in barrel, stored in caves dug into the hillside of his rustic mountain property. Dunn, a "tree-hugging dirt worshipper" (or so declares the bumper sticker on his pick-up truck), confides that while his Napa Valley-designated Cabernet previously contained some fruit from the valley floor, it is now made entirely from Howell Mountain fruit, some harvested from his 35 acres of estate vineyards and some purchased from other Howell Mountain growers.
Cakebread Cellars is a relative newcomer to Howell Mountain. In 1999, 30 acres of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cab franc were planted in a vineyard dubbed the Dancing Bear Ranch. "We actually have some photos of a persistent bear visitor to the vineyard that inspired the name," says Bruce Cakebread, the winery's president. Ranging in elevation from 1,600 to 2,000 feet, the Dancing Bear Ranch is a rarity on Howell Mountain in that it has an exclusively western exposure. The 2002 vintage was Cakebread's first release from Dancing Bear, and it's a knockout (see Tasting Bar).
Near what could be called the summit (as opposed to the non-existent peak) of the mountain, at an elevation of 2,280 feet, the Robert Craig Winery on Summit Lake Drive offers those who have made an appointment breathtaking views of Howell Mountain's sloping, vineyard-laced terrain and Napa Valley floor far below. All the Robert Craig wines are made at this facility, and its Howell Mountain Cabernet is a textbook example of what the mountain can produce, with a signature flavor profile of wild berry, ever-present pepper, wild sage and warm spice.
"Our hillside vineyard - really a collection of small vineyards in proximity to each other - is composed of sparse, rocky, well-drained, red volcanic soil," explains proprietor Robert Craig, "which has to be carefully nurtured to produce small bunches of grapes that are naturally low in yield -
2 to 4 tons per acre versus 5 to 7 tons on the valley floor. These small berries have a high ratio of seeds and skin to juice, which creates concentrated, intensely flavored wines with an excellent tannin structure."
As Craig would be among the first to insist, Merlot made from Howell Mountain grapes is a powerful statement of the varietal, exhibiting more Cabernet-like muscularity and depth than typical Napa Valley Merlot. And Beringer's Merlot from the Bancroft Ranch is arguably the best-known example, attracting connoisseurs and collectors almost since its first vintage in 1987. The rolling vineyard lies at an elevation of 1,800 feet on the western slope of Howell Mountain and offers every possible exposure, requiring a variety of trellising systems. The soil here - gritty white tuff of volcanic origin - is shallow, infertile and extremely well drained. The vines produce small, intensely flavored berries with powerful, concentrated fruit flavors and thick skins that yield rich tannins.
Beringer obtains grapes from two other vineyards near the top of Howell Mountain at 1,800 feet: Rancho del Oso (owned by Betty O'Shaughnessy, who has her own winery in the AVA, and named the vineyard for the red bear that climbs the deer fence and cavorts in the reservoir on the property); and Beringer-owned Steinhauer Ranch, which produces wines even more muscular than those from Bancroft Ranch, including the 2002 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($70) from Beringer's sister winery, St. Clement, and Beringer's limited-production Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc ($75), which is every bit the equal of the winery's spectacular Bancroft Ranch Merlot. Rancho del Oso is also the vineyard-designated source of the Sbragia Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($75), Beringer winemaster Ed Sbragia's own label. Sbragia notes: "The 2002 is the second vintage for this wine, and once again my grapes came from the northern part of the vineyard, and the terroir expression comes through in the wine's strong but elegant structure." (This trio of mountain vineyards also supplies 60 percent of the fruit that goes into Beringer's highly acclaimed Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.)
For several vintages Duckhorn has made a Howell Mountain Merlot in a bold style similar to the Beringer Bancroft Ranch, and has also invested heavily in vineyards on the mountain, which are planted primarily to Bordeaux varieties. Alex Ryan, recently promoted from general manager to president of Duckhorn Wine Company, explains, "We now own 63 acres on Howell Mountain - two vineyards, Stout and Candlestick Ridge - a significant portion of the 309 total planted acres we own in Napa Valley and Anderson Valley."
Candlestick Ridge is one of the most visually exciting vineyards in the AVA. Situated at an elevation of 1,700 feet, the physical geography of the site ranges from rolling mountain plateaus to steep slopes. "The steepest slopes had to be terraced to control soil erosion," Ryan explains. He also points out that the terraces are planted with three vine rows, as is the practice in Portugal's Douro Valley, instead of one or two vine rows per terrace that is common in Napa's hillside vineyards. "Growing grapes on Howell Mountain can be a logistical nightmare," Duckhorn's winemaker Mark Beringer adds. "Water is scarce, cultivation is challenging and yields are low. Yet working with the grapes from this mountain is a winemaker's dream."
His sentiments are echoed by every winemaker on Howell Mountain and those elsewhere lucky enough to obtain some of its precious fruit - at least that which the bears haven't gobbled up.
Tasting Bar
Unless otherwise indicated, the following wines were comparatively tasted open at Ladera Winery on Howell Mountain with many of the winemakers present.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Bravante, 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - $45: Complex, alluring scents of red currant-cassis fruit, black olive, raw red meat and a touch of mocha. Full bodied and muscular with substantial tannins and copious dark berry fruit. Clearly a wine to cellar for at least half a decade; great potential. (370 cases) Score: 90
Cakebread, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dancing Bear Ranch, Howell Mountain - $70: Enticing nose of wild blackberry, subtle mocha, violets and dried lavender. Round, rich and powerful on the palate with deep, intense dark berry fruit and evident, though supple, tannins. Lingering, vanilla-tinged finish. (450 cases) Score: 93
Clark-Claudon, 2002 Eternity Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - $90: Fruit-forward aromas of blackberry, black currant and violets with a subtle note of fresh red meat. Very elegant in a feminine sort of way with medium tannins and deep, concentrated black cherry-cassis fruit; excellent balance. (70 cases) Score: 90
Dunn, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - $70: Rich, lovely aromas of ripe, freshly crushed dark berries, black currant and white pepper. Full bodied with ripe, powerful tannins, a velvety texture and intense, deep, concentrated, liqueur-like flavors of exceedingly rich, extracted berry fruit that go on and on, lingering into the extended finish. Pure Dunn, pure Howell Mountain. (2,100 cases) Score: 92
Highlands, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Beatty Ranch, Howell Mountain - $80: Upfront scents of black fruit, violets, dried thyme and glove leather. Round and juicy with medium tannins and copious berry-raspberry fruit. More elegant than powerful; lends itself to pairing with a thick, juicy steak. (500 cases) Score: 89
Ladera, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - $65: Pleasant, enticing scents of lightly toasted oak, blackberry-black cherry and a hint of mocha. Plush and velvety smooth with supple, medium-full tannins and tiers of berry-cassis fruit, subtle dark chocolate and vanillin oak. A generous, elegantly extracted Cabernet. (710 cases) Score: 92
La Jota, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Anniversary Release, Howell Mountain - $90: Forward, unmistakable violet notes precede ripe black fruit and mocha scents. Concentrated, deep, complex flavors of chocolate-covered cherry and blackberry liqueur enhanced by a dash of white pepper and a hint of minerality. (900 cases) Score: 92
O'Shaughnessy, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - $65: Exotic scents of cassis-blackberry fruit accented by a red meat note open with airing to reveal sweet vanilla oak and dark chocolate. Juicy and generous with polished tannins and harmonious flavors that replicate the nose. A wickedly rich wine. (1,200 cases) Score: 92
Piña, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - $66: This superb Cab offers an intriguing, attractive nose of red meat, black olive, sandalwood and red berry-cassis fruit accented by violets. Bold and full bodied with ripe, sinewy tannins, delivering intense, highly extracted dark berry flavors and a wonderful aftertaste. Several years of cellaring recommended. Tasted open in San Francisco. (400 cases) Score: 93
Robert Craig, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - $50: Focused, come-hither aromas of wild blackberry, cassis, minerals, mocha and a floral violet note tinged with pepper spice. Plush and silky smooth with ripe, supple tannins. A polished and generous wine offering abundant berry fruit accented by warm spices and sweet herbs. Long, lingering finish. A pre-release sample of the 2003 version, tasted open in San Francisco, revealed the same characteristics, depth and intensity, and earned the same score. (1,200 cases; 09/06 release) Score: 92
Sbragia Family, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rancho Del Oso, Howell Mountain - $75: Attractive aromas of blackberry-cassis and dark plum, cedar, dried sage and cinnamon-clove spice. Richly textured with medium-full, ripe tannins; deep flavors replicate the nose with the addition of some creamy oak and an intriguing mintiness. Long, black fruit finish. Tasted open in San Francisco. (580 cases) Score: 90
St. Clement, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - $70: Bright, fragrant, violet-tinged aromas of boysenberry and cassis accented by a note of raspberry jam. Powerful, yet still elegant and focused with ripe, supple tannins. Made entirely from Steinhauer Vineyard fruit, this 100 percent Cab offers deep flavors of cassis, red cherry and minerals, and a hint of brown spice. Long, raspberry liqueur-like finish. Tasted open in San Francisco. (658 cases) Score: 91
White Cottage Ranch, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain - $60: Fragrant, lifted aromas of red meat, nutmeg, licorice and cassis-black cherry. Round and silky smooth with medium tannins. An elegant Cab that finishes with a spicy flourish tinged with minerality. (650 cases) Score: 92
Merlot
Atalon, 2001 Merlot, Keyes Vineyard, Howell Mountain - $65: Red cherry-raspberry fruit, a touch of red meat, subtle mint and cedar define the nose. Elegant and poised with medium tannins, a silky-smooth texture and luscious, ripe black fruit flavors that extend into the graceful finish. (427 cases) Score: 92
Beringer, 2002 Merlot, Bancroft Ranch, Howell Mountain - $75: Vibrant, intense aromas of mocha and wild blackberry, accented by subtle notes of cedar, cherry cola and brown spice. Densely textured with medium-full tannins; muscular, hedonistically rich and saturated with ripe blackberry-black cherry fruit. At once massive and powerful, yet focused and nearly graceful. Tasted open in San Francisco. (The 2001, tasted at Ladera, is similar in character, but just a bit smaller in scale, earning 93 points.) (2,000 cases; 11/06 release) Score: 94
Duckhorn, 2002 Merlot, Howell Mountain - $70: Alluring aromas of cinnamon toast, blackberry, black pepper and a touch of pleasant forest floor earthiness. Deeply extracted and concentrated with medium-full tannins; a large-scale Merlot brimming with complex flavors of freshly crushed dark berries enhanced by notes of leather and cocoa. A touch of dried sage emerges in the extended finish. Tasted open in San Francisco. (1,707 cases) Score: 93
Ilona, 2001 Red Wine, Howell Mountain - $36: A blend of mountain-grown merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc with forward, complex aromas of blackberry, dried herbs and smoke with a wisp of violets. Round and juicy with firm, ripe tannins and deep, rich flavors that echo the nose, accented with vanilla from 18 months' aging in French oak. Lush finish. (950 cases) Score: 90
Zinfandel
Howell Mountain Vineyards, 2002 Zinfandel, Beatty Ranch, Howell Mountain - $38: Spicy, very appealing nose of black raspberry-black cherry accented with a subtle, meaty component. Medium-full, supple tannins; concentrated, round and plush with copious berry fruit complemented by freshly crushed black peppercorns and a touch of dark chocolate. (467 cases) Score: 90
Lamborn Family Vineyards, 2002 Zinfandel, Platinum Anniversary, Howell Mountain - $36: Slow-to-open nose of spicy, creamy oak, raspberry, black pepper and tobacco leaf. Silky smooth with medium tannins; a classic Zin fairly bursting with ripe raspberry and plum fruit accented by moderately toasty oak. (606 cases) Score: 90
Summit Lake, 2001 Zinfandel, Howell Mountain - $22: Shy aromas of red berry dusted with cinnamon and anise, along with some black pepper, open with airing. Richly textured with medium tannins, the nicely concentrated flavors echo the nose, and the wine tapers to a wonderfully spicy close. (1,200 cases) Score: 90
Based in San Francisco, Contributing Editor Steve Pitcher may be reached via e-mail at wine2words@aol.com
