Rib of beef grilled over vine cuttings, herb-crusted leg of lamb, venison fillet with poivrade sauce, duck breast with blackberries, extra-aged Mimolette
Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018Duckhorn
This cuvée comes from Howell Mountain, a mountain appellation perched in the north-east of the Napa Valley, in California. The vines grow here at altitude, above the layer of fog that often covers the valley floor, on poor soils that limit yields and concentrate the grapes. This appellation is renowned for its powerful Cabernet Sauvignons built for ageing, and the estate has been sourcing its grapes here for more than thirty years.
The Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by 8% Merlot, is vinified before a long two-year ageing in oak barrels, partly new French oak, with the last six months in neutral barrels. A mountain wine with an assertive structure, it also benefits from bottle ageing one year longer than the estate's other wines before release.
This wine reveals notes of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, mocha, vanilla, caramel and cedar. Generous black fruit dominates the bouquet, wrapped in gourmand oak and roasted nuances. The palate is dense and deep, supported by firm yet rounded tannins and a long, spicy, persistent finish.
Where are we traveling?
Napa ValleyUnited States
It lies an hour's drive north of San Francisco, nestled between the Vaca Mountains to the east and the Mayacamas to the west, forming a narrow valley barely 50 kilometres long. The vineyards stretch from the cool, foggy south near the marshes of San Pablo Bay to the hot, enclosed north around the small town of Calistoga, passing through the legendary villages of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena. The valley's winegrowing history began in the 1830s with George Yount, but it was the Judgement of Paris in 1976 that propelled Napa onto the world stage, when a Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars outscored the greatest French crus in a blind tasting. The climate is Mediterranean, hot and dry in summer, tempered by morning fogs that roll in from the bay and sweep up the valley, giving the grapes the cool nights essential to their balance. The diversity of soils is remarkable, from the alluvial deposits of the valley floor to the volcanic rocks of the hillsides, with no fewer than sixteen distinct sub-appellations. Napa Valley has become the world benchmark for Cabernet Sauvignon thanks to opulent, concentrated wines of exceptional longevity, complemented by full, generous Chardonnay, silky Merlot and a handful of Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel that bear witness to the richness of a terroir that has become legendary.
The little history of the country
United States
In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors to California that boosted the California wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa region. At the start of the 20th century, there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933 Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the California wine industry so that by 1933, only 140 wineries remained producing wine. It was only from 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition and California was primarily known for the production of fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous estates were created (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc...).
In 1976, a significant event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgment of Paris". He sees the greatest French wines opposing the new American wines. This May 24, an unexpected result shakes the world of wine, since to everyone's surprise, it is the United States which wins. However, this competition remains relatively unknown to the general public.
Today, there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Even though California largely monopolizes the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and the state of Washington offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon.