Explosive yet elegant, this 100-point Howell Mountain Cabernet stuns with pristine dark fruit, crushed stone, and velvet-smooth texture. Intensely pure and impeccably balanced, it’s a benchmark wine from dynamite-hewn vineyard soil—rare, refined, and built to impress for decades.

The Wine Advocate | RP 100
Published: Sep 15, 2022
Drink: 2025-2045

From a vineyard that had to be created using dynamite, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, yet it shows exquisitely pristine blueberry fruit, accented by subtle pine-needle shadings. Full-bodied, concentrated and rich, with a plush texture that combines the best qualities of velvet and high-fat cream, it displays an awesome sense of balance, as it completely saturates the palate, yet it does so without any heaviness, then lingers elegantly on the lengthy finish.

Owned since 2018 by AXA/Millesimes, Outpost continues to source grapes for these wines from Howell Mountain, although the company has added more vineyards—nearby Henry Ranch (undergoing redevelopment) and the Platt Vineyard in Sonoma. Thomas Rivers Brown remains the winemaker, and he poured these for me during our tasting session at Mending Wall. A tiny quantity of the wines makes it into distribution, but the best way to ensure getting some is via the mailing list, as most of these are already sold out. With no 2020 red wines having been bottled, look for the 2021s next year.

James Suckling | JS 98
Published: Jan 27, 2022

Blackberries and blueberries with hints of crushed stones, licorice and violets. Medium-to full-bodied, pure and really harmonized with lovely fruit. So subtle, yet intense. Touch of crushed stone and pumice. Purity in the bottle from cabernet. You want to drink it! But it will age beautifully, too.

Jancis Robinson | JR 17.5
Published: Jun 27, 2024
Drink: 2024-2042

19 months in 90% new French oak.
Really glossy and fresh. Lovely wine with great balance. Pure Howell Mountain? Opulent texture but not obviously high alcohol. Smooth as satin.

Outpostwines.com

This Cabernet Sauvignon comes entirely from our True Vineyard located at 1,800 feet in elevation. Wines are neither fined or filtered allowing for the full expression of the vintages' potential.

Technical Specs

Alcohol: 14.9% ABV
Closure: Natural cork
Harvest: 2019; hand-harvested
Oak: Matured in French oak barrels; exact ageing duration and proportion of new oak not confirmed
Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Farming: Sustainable viticulture; specific organic certification not confirmed
Vineyard Area: True Vineyard, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California, USA
Vinification: Carefully selected Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are fermented under controlled conditions to preserve concentrated dark fruit character and develop structure, followed by maturation in French oak barrels
Winemaker: Outpost Wines winemaking team
Region: Howell Mountain AVA, Napa Valley, California, USA

Serving Temperature: 16–18°C
Decanting: Decant for approximately 1–2 hours before serving
Food Pairing: Grilled ribeye steak, roast lamb, braised short ribs, venison, and aged hard cheeses