2021 Arkenstone "Estate" Howell Mountain Bordeaux Blend
99DC
99TWI
98JD
96RP
94WS
$179.99
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Only 6 left
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Culver City: 3 | San Francisco: 2 | Main Warehouse: 1
99
Decanter
Reviewed November 2024This blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak and is organically farmed. The wine is remarkably polished, showcasing succulent, juicy black cherry, blackberry, and blueberry fruit with a plump mid-palate perfectly balanced by super-fine tannins and a firm spine of blood orange acidity. Rich baking spices, dried herbs, and pressed flowers add complexity, while its focus and generosity make it a tremendous effort. Sam Kaplan attributes this balance and power to low yields, which fully mature the tannins, which are perfectly integrated by his approach to oak ageing. He opts for thicker staves and two years in barrel to preserve freshness while maintaining body and richness. (JC)
Professional Reviews
99
The Wine Independent
The 2021 Estate Red Blend is composed of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec, all from the 12-acre Arkenstone Estate Vineyard, planted in 1998 and 1999. Deep garnet-purple in color, it swans out of the glass with wonderfully perfumy notes of violets, fragrant earth, and black raspberries leading to a core of warm cassis, underbrush, and mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is so, so velvety, with floral and black fruit flavors intermingling, gripped by compelling tension, finishing long and mineral-laced. This is gorgeous! (LPB)
98
Jeb Dunnuck
Coming all from the estate on Howell Mountain (which is farmed by the Arkenstone team), the 2021 Estate Red checks in as 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec that was brought up in 100% new barrels for 22 months. More tight and inward, it has a deep, darker profile of black cherries, currants, smoked tobacco, lead pencil, and chocolate that takes time to unwind. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has fine, velvety tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This beauty deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and is another fabulous wine from Sam that will evolve for 30+ years. 98+
96
Wine Advocate
Arkenstone's 2021 Howell Mountain Estate Red Blend is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with small proportions of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Pine needles, bay leaves and black cherries are joined on the nose by hints of mocha and cedar, plus some redder-skinned berries. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied, plush and creamy, combining incredible softness with ample concentration, then finishing long and seductive. 96+ (JC)
Details
| Type | Red Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends |
| Origin | Napa Valley, California, United States |
| Bottle Size | 750 mL |
| SKU | 2038154 |
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