Stephen & Walker, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

 Regardless of the throw-back label, this producer is new to me, but the back-to-back performance with this wine from 2017 and 2018 is eye-poppingly impressive.  I have a slight preference for this release from 2018 as it seems to have just a bit more inner purity to the fruit, even if it is less complex at the moment.  That’s probably attributable to the difference in age, and I have every confidence that this will at least equal the 2017 — but probably surpass it.  A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine and Spirits Competition.