Lot 61 — 2024 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Lot Overview
- Region: Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
- Vintage: 2024
- Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec (producer’s final blend, may change slightly)
- Alcohol: 15%
- Oak Aging: 65–70% new French oak
- Cases Available: ~115
- Cam Price: ~$25/bottle ($299/case)
- Retail Estimate: $150+/bottle
- Claude’s Source Guess: Robert Craig Winery — Howell Mountain Estate
- Wine Berserkers Guess:
- Drink Window: 2028–2045 (peak 2030–2040)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Well, it has finally arrived, a FANTASTIC Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from the super-sexy, opulent and bold 2024 vintage!
I think it’s been close to a decade or more since I have sourced a Howell Mountain Cabernet and there are approximately 125 cases available… concentrated-yet-sensuous, voluptuous and powerful all at the same time, this is a don’t miss!
Lot 61 2024 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon features no-expense spared winemaking from a producer renowned for producing sub-AVA Cabernets from various rocky, high-elevation mountain sites around Napa Valley. They sell through their tasting room, website and mailing list only and, as this is a club offering, I can’t give you a comparable price but, given their entry-level Napa cab is $125/bottle, I can’t imagine it’s under $150/bottle and likely considerably more.
The rarest bird on the bulk market, I have been trying to close a Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon for years and, while there have been some fantastic Lots, the pricing was, and remains, stratospheric. There is obviously something special about Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon — its combination of lean, yield-reducing volcanic soil and 1,500- to 2,500-foot elevation makes it probably the most naturally and broadly hospitable place to grow high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon in California. The 2024 vintage is proving out to be fantastic for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in general and Howell Mountain in particular, with power and vibrancy on full display.
Tasting Notes
Deep purple with an inky core and just a hint of magenta around the rim. The bouquet is dense, pungent, and brooding with seasoned oak aromas underpinning the meatiness. After a couple swirls, the wine opens with aromas of blackberry compote, ripe plum and plenty of chocolate that complex with white flowers, crushed red rock, spicy cherry kirsch, roasted tobacco leaf and caramel. Super-sensuous and open knit with a full array of black, red and purple fruit. Fleshy, robust and voluptuous on the palate with big-grained and chalk-laced tannins beaming through black fruit, red rock, and chocolate with leather and tobacco laced throughout. Sexy, voluptuous and powerful with huge length and fantastic structure.
⏳ Bottle Shock Status
Recently bottled — Spring 2026. Best after 2028 with significant cellaring potential.
Claude’s Source Guess: Robert Craig Winery — Howell Mountain Estate
This is about as close to a slam dunk as it gets in the negociant guessing game. Cam drops a set of clues that point to a single producer with unusual precision.
The critical clue is the description of a winery “renowned for producing sub-AVA Cabernets from various rocky, high-elevation mountain sites around Napa Valley” that sells exclusively through “tasting room, website and mailing list.” That is Robert Craig Winery’s identity in a single sentence — they produce Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain District, Mount Veeder, and Diamond Mountain District Cabernets, all from sites above 1,850 feet, and they are a direct-to-consumer only operation with a tasting salon in downtown Napa.
The entry-level price clue locks it in. Cam says the producer’s entry-level Napa Cab is $125/bottle. Robert Craig’s Affinity Cabernet (their Coombsville/valley floor offering, which they themselves describe as their “entry level” selection) sells for approximately $120–$125 — an exact match. Their mountain-designated Cabernets (Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain, Mount Veeder) run $100–$150+ at retail, with the Howell Mountain estate wine consistently the flagship and most expensive in the lineup.
The blend composition is also a Robert Craig signature. Their recent Howell Mountain releases have consistently used Malbec as the blending component alongside Cabernet Sauvignon — the 2018 and 2019 vintages were 90–92% Cab with 6–9% Malbec — which matches Lot 61’s 95% Cab / 5% Malbec blend precisely.
Finally, the tasting notes — crushed red rock, volcanic minerality, dense black fruit, chalk-laced tannins — are textbook Howell Mountain from a 2,300-foot volcanic ridge site, and match the house style Robert Craig has been producing since 1992.
✅ Confidence: Very high. The combination of the “multiple mountain sub-AVA” identity, the DTC-only distribution, the entry-level price anchor at $125, and the Malbec-blended Howell Mountain Cab leaves very little room for another candidate.
Drink Window
Early Enjoyment: 2028 at the earliest, and only with aggressive decanting. At 15% alcohol and 65–70% new French oak, this wine is going to need time.
Peak Drinking: 2030–2040. The big-grained chalky tannins Cam describes are the signature of Howell Mountain volcanic soils — they are structured for the long haul and will take years to fully resolve.
Hold Potential: 2045 and beyond with proper storage. Howell Mountain Cabs from serious producers routinely age 20–30 years. The 2024 vintage’s combination of power and vibrancy Cam describes suggests exceptional longevity.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2028–2045 (peak 2030–2040)