The incredibly rocky, rhyolitic soils of this Howell Mountain site provide fruit with structure and depth, yet the cool climate produces a wine of restraint and vibrant acidity. An underlying minerality gives the wine a particularly distinctive character and provides another layer of complexity. The appellation has become a favorite of collectors who value the age-worthy capacity of wines from this elevation. “Their Howell Mountain cuvée, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard looks profound. With great ripeness and seamlessness, and a huge core of massive fruit, this wine has sensational purity, full body, and a finish that goes on close to a minute. What is amazing with this degree of ripeness is that consulting oenologist Philippe Melka reported that there was absolutely no raisining of the grapes in 2015 and that the tiny yields provided a level of fruit richness largely unprecedented even in other great vintages. This is a beauty to drink during its first 20 years of life. The wine will spend 25 months in 98% new French oak.” – Robert Parker.