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.

Jamessuckling.com | 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.

Jancisrobinson.com | 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.

- 2019 - 

2021 is another extraordinary vintage for this region. Coming from a warm, incredibly dry growing season, the wines nevertheless hold onto a beautiful sense of freshness and purity while being concentrated, rich, and structured.

Technical Informations
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Ageing: 19 months in 90% new French oak barrels
Production: 676 cases
Winemaker: Thomas Rivers-Brown