Byron C Mayes

9.1

Deep ruby purple in the glass. Abundant nose of cassis, rhubarb, and light graphite. Fruit forward, full-bodied palate echoes the nose with medium acidity and medium plus, dusty tannins. Long, dark red finish wraps it all up. An excellent match for my cowboy rubbed porterhouse, and the perfect subject to test out my new Repour stoppers. ITD great now. I’ll be back over the course of the week to see how it fares. IF I don’t finish it all tonight! 😉 — 3 days ago

Mark Flesher

9.1

Compared to what I've been able to get to know about Haber with current releases, this one seems to be made in a very different style. Either that or this bottle was off.....or maybe aging isn't the greatest? I'd like to believe that this wine is in a really strange spot. Brambly raspberry and black cherry. Wasn't getting a lot of blue fruit. Wasn't getting a lot of chocolate, spice that I usually get. The newer releases are quite a bit more full bodied and although they are more red, there are subtle coffee, blueberry and black roasted fruit and spice notes. Quite a divergence from that. The structure of this wine was there, but this was just a little lackluster than I expected. — 19 days ago

with Dan, Bradley and 3 others

Avery Plank

9.4

Big, bold. Let this breathe for about an hour and you will get much more fruit. — 11 hours ago

Shay A

9.5

Monthly WTF group recap. Theme this month was “bring something special”. Normally we taste all of the wines blind, but we decided to do a relaxed night with amazing wines at a great restaurant. Spectacular evening!

One of my favorite producers, and likely just entering its prime window (where I imagine it will hold for a decade or so). The profile here is dense yet soft and round. Gorgeous aromatics of baked fig and ripe blackberry with pencil shavings and cassis. Black cherry jam, graham cracker, violets and dusty traits on the palate. Such a delicious wine right now. Thanks @Michael Rariden . — 6 days ago

with Jack, Michael and 8 others

Mark Flesher

9.1

You gotta give this bottle some time. After the cork was popped, this one had a pretty funky tart characteristic to it and a metallic kind of character and acidity that was a little off-putting. After 30 minutes, totally different wine. Just ripened black cherry and oregano notes dominate the palate and the entry. Medium bodied wine. Not really all that complex. Nide acidity on the finish..some black pepper and cola. Went much better with Asian StirFry than it did alone. I think I will try to save the other bottle for a couple of years. — 19 days ago

P Plusquellec

9.3

Interesting Heidi Barrett wine at Goose & Gander (previously Martini House) in St Helena. Blend of Cab & Zin. — 11 days ago

Teresa S

9.2

Dried fruit, tannins, perfectly balanced. Wow. — 5 days ago

David L

9.4

12’ Adamvs Howell MT Estate Cabernet. 3 barrels made of this flagship wine.
Another Melka wine. 100% Cab & new oak. Seen this movie before from Melka.
This wine has broad shoulders a black and blue fruit. Needs a decanting of at least an hour or more for it to really show off. — 6 days ago

Eric Shanks

9.3

Surprisingly good. Graphite laced tannic blue fruit. Some budding funk on the nose. Still young. — 6 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

It has been awhile since my last 02 Ladera Howell Mountain and this is my last bottle.

This bottle is even better than my last six years ago. The fruits shine brighter. The structure & slight alcohol heat are even bigger than memory.

The one thing I adore about good Howell Mountain producers is the mix of purple fruits and the amazing beautiful blue fruits that follow.

The nose reveals, bright, ripe, slightly candied & hot; blackberries, black cherries, black plum,black raspberries, mixed purple fruits, blueberries, hints of dry cranberries and poached strawberries. Anise to black licorice, mid red cola, dry crushed rocks, steeped fruit teas, limestone minerals, alluvial soils, saddle-wood, soft leather, hints of fresh tobacco leaf, light; dark spice, clove, nutmeg & vanillin. Touch of cooked, green bell pepper with fresh, slightly candied, dark, red, blue flowers with violets.

The 02 vintage is peaking. The body is just full. The structure, tension, length and balance are in perfect harmony. Tannins are 55-60% resolved. She is a beauty on the palate. Somewhat candied & ripe; blackberries, black cherries, black plum, black raspberries, mixed purple fruits, blueberries, hints of dry cranberries and poached strawberries. Mixed purple & blue liqueured notes. Anise to black licorice, mid red cola, dry crushed rocks, mid dark spices, steeped fruit teas, dark expresso roast, limestone minerals, dry crushed rocks, alluvial soils, dark, rich, moist soil, saddle-wood, soft leather, hints of fresh tobacco leaf, light; dark spice, clove, nutmeg & vanillin. Dark chocolate, mocha, milk chocolate, salted caramel, touch of cooked, green bell, mint with fresh, slightly candied, dark, red, blue flowers with violets and lavender. The acidity is perfect...in the range of cool rain shower. The long finish is; ripe, well balanced, delicious and persists nicely for several minutes.

This bottle has another 5-8 years of good drinking ahead of it.

Photos of; Ladera’s entrance and patio, entrance, barrel room and hillside Estate vineyard. — a month ago