Cakebread Cellars, Howell Mountain (Napa Valley, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

For more than 30 years the Cakebread name has been synonymous with outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. Founder Jack Cakebread had the vision, which he has passed along to his sons, Dennis and Bruce, who’ve taken that vision and run with it. So a once good thing is now even better. The Cakebread’s Dancing Bear Ranch, situated on a west-facing slope of Howell Mountain, has emerged under Bruce and Dennis as one of Napa’s most impressive sites for Cabernet. The 2012 is a monumental wine that should continue to improve over the next 20 years and then some. It shows classic notes of cassis and blackberry, with a note of cedar and oak vanillin. In the land of great Cabernet, this is without a doubt one of the finest.  Platinum award winner at the 2015 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition.