Images Courtesy of Suzanne Becker Bronk
The Howell Mountain AVA was the first mountainous nested appellation to be established, with the southern boundary of the AVA beginning at 1400 feet above sea level.
"Overlooking the town of Saint Helena, CA, Howell Mountain AVA is a sub-appellation of the Napa Valley AVA and is located in the northeast side of Napa Valley near the town of Angwin. Howell Mountain AVA was established as an American Viticultural Area in 1983 and was the first sub-appellation within the greater Napa Valley AVA.
owell Mountain was the first mountainous nested appellation to be drawn and declared. It is also unique in that, unlike the other mountains which run down to connect with the valley floor appellations, the AVA’s southern boundary is 1,400 feet (427m) above sea level. This boundary was selected by the AVA’s founders because that was the elevation at which the fog crested. The thinking was that vines grown above this elevation would be dramatically dis- tinct from those grown beneath.
The area in which the modern appellation of Howell Mountain is located was originally called "Sierras de Suscol" or "Suscol Hills", by the Spanish. Then in 1841 became part of the Rancho Carne Humana land grant, which was given to Dr. Edward Turner Bale by General Mariano Vallejo as payment for his services as "Surgeon-in-Chief of the Mexican Army." When Dr. Bale died in 1849, his family started to sell off portions of the vast land grant.
Howell Mountain and the Howell Mountain AVA are named after the Isacc Howell family, early settlers who moved to the area in 1846. In 1877, two of the area's first winemakers, Jean Adolph Brun and Jean V. Chaix planted 20 acres of grapevines from seven varieties which were sourced from Medoc in Bordeaux. They were among the first to operate successful vineyards in the area during the wine boom of the 1880's. They founded Nouveau Medoc Cellar and later Howell Mountain Winery in 1886, which was one of the most expensive construction projects in Napa at the time. Other early Howell Mountain winemakers included Charles Krug, J. Thomas and George McMee.
Howell Mountain first made history as a recognized wine producing region in 1889 when winemakers Brun and Chaix won a bronze medal at the Paris World Competition. However, with the outbreak of Phylloxera in the 1890's and Prohibition in the 1920's, winemaking in the area came to a standstill. All the wineries in the region closed and vineyards were either abandoned or replanted with different crops. It was not until the 1960's when interest in winemaking returned to Howell Mountain. The region was officially designated an American Viticultural Area in 1983 and was the first sub-appellation of the larger Napa Valley AVA. It is also the first mountainous nested appellation to be established, with the southern boundary of the AVA beginning at 1400 feet above sea level.
"The terrain of Howell Mountain is often steep hillsides with vineyards nestled between forests of pine, fir and oak trees. When the valley floor is covered in a blanket of fog, Howell Mountain is above the fogline, taking in the sunshine. The resulting wines, specifically Cabernet Sauvignon, are intensely structured, filled with great red fruit flavors and can age beautifully in a bottle for 20+ years."
- Danielle Cyrot, Cade Estate Winery
Inspired by the desire to capture time and place, Castiel Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a collaboration among nature, patient and caring human hands, and artistic excellence. It speaks clearly of its unique and extraordinary location upon Howell Mountain.
Historically grown on our shy bearing, 9 acre Howell Mountain estate vineyard at 2,300' of elevation, 2015 marks the introduction of the neighboring Candlestick Vineyard fruit. A game changer. The Candlestick fruit's deep color and power are a perfect match with the stiff structure of our winery property. We purchased the vineyard from Duckhorn early in 2015 and are thrilled with the results. This wine proves the most challenging and expensive to farm each year at $20K per acre. With the challenges come the ultimate rewards in the unique sense of place found in the finished cabernet and the cellar worthiness as a result of the structure and balance. For such a big offering, there is plenty of nuance in the multi-dimensional aspect of the wine. Subtlety is not sacrificed due to size. Without doubt, the tiny 2015 vintage will prove long lived and will greatly reward cellaring.
Located atop Howell Mountain, Beatty Ranch typically gets to enjoy the warmth of the sun when summer fog lines the valley floor. While the fruit ripens easily, we must wait for mature tannins to emerge. The red, rocky soils are ideal for producing moderate-sized vines, and this vineyard is comprised of four different clones that each provide a unique flavor profile to the overall wine.
Merlot plays a strong role in this wine, showing that it is a varietal with which to be reckoned, especially from Howell Mountain. Merlot from this site is layered and flavorful, full of blue/black fruit, rich plum, and a dash of green peppercorn. The Petit Verdot brings in cigar box and soy and the Cabernet Sauvignon, although taking a back seat in this wine, stands strong with savory peppercorn, blackberry, and cola.