The Ink Grade Vineyard, on the edge of Howell Mountain is one of the most historic and extraordinary vineyards in all of Napa. The Napa Valley Register calls it” a remarkable, rugged site on Howell Mountain … redefining mountain Cabernet and elevating the next chapter of Napa Valley wine.”
Established in 1870, Heitz bought the property recently, and now bottles Cabernet from it under both their Heitz and Ink Grade labels. They lured the brilliant young winemaker Matt Taylor from Araujo to make the Ink Grade Estate wines. The debut 2017 vintage created quite a splash at $225. And the 2019 earned even better ratings – initially from the Wine Review Online at $195.
But Ink Grade really hit it big when this 2019 made the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2023 list at $120.
As The Napa Wine Project explains:
This rare and rugged piece of Napa Valley is truly a special site. It remains one with the surrounding forested hillsides, where grapes are grown but are not the dominating feature of the rocky landscape.
The 2019 Ink Grade Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot. This wine is noticeably dark ruby in color; the elegant bouquet offers scents of plum skin, black raspberry, cigar spices and blue berries along with a hint of leather. We also noticed a rose stem like character, a scent that was first mentioned to us when describing one of the Opus One wines by winemaker Michael Silacci.
Forbes says:
Winemaker Matt Taylor, who cut his teeth at Joseph Swan and Domaine Dujac before he transplanted back to California, truly believes that these high-altitude sites offer incredible, grand cru potential with immense intensity of fruit, a gripping depth, and a singing minerality.
Again, the Wine Spectator awarded this as one of their Top 100 Wines of 2023, saying:
Expressive, with bramble and black licorice notes leading off, followed quickly by fresh black cherry and currant preserves. Features flashes of bay leaf and mesquite on the sleek finish, with a strong mineral underpinning as well. Drink now through 2035.
And Suckling rates it even higher. As does Decanter, which says:
Heady and explosive red and black fruit notes are intermixed with an enticing graham cracker crust and toasty oak element. Full-bodied and overflowing with pure black fruits and more savoury-sweet oak spices. Powerful mountain tannins are burly and grippy, like the vines clinging to the rocks.
Just the essence of Howell Mountain Cabernet from this historic and amazing, biodynamically farmed site.
