2022 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

JS98 This is so luscious, ripe and gorgeous that you don’t notice the massive, fine-grained tannins until the finish. A truly rich, fruity, opulent and delicious wine that also has a firm, sneaky texture from the powdery-fine tannins and some red fruit acidity. Black cherries, baked blackberries, creme de cassis, spearmint and cocoa. 100% of the grapes come from the W. S. Keyes Vineyard. Drinkable now, but best from 2035.

DEC97 Sourced entirely from the estate-owned W.S. Keyes Vineyard at 556 metres elevation, the 2022 Howell Mountain Cabernet is a bold yet strikingly composed wine. Winemaker Chris Carpenter notes that Howell Mountain is the warmest of Napa’s mountain AVAs, where tannins are typically softer, pH levels slightly higher, and the acidity more savoury. This full-bodied Cabernet brims with black and blue fruit, underpinned by powerful Howell Mountain tannins that show a decidedly chocolaty edge in this vintage. Framed by paprika, coriander, and bright brown and red spices, the wine remains brooding and densely structured, yet more approachable than in more rigid, tannic years. It’s full-throttle, but finely tuned—like a sports car flying smoothly along the motorway at top speed. It’ll make you feel like a million bucks. Honestly. Lokoya, owned by the Jackson Family, is dedicated to single-appellation, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from four mountain AVAs: Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain, and Mount Veeder. Winemaking is consistent across sites—native yeast fermentation, hand pump-overs, malolactic fermentation in barrel, and 22 months of ageing in 89% new French oak. What distinguishes each wine is terroir. Carpenter points to the cooling Pacific breezes and gentler diurnal shifts above the fog line as key elements in shaping these mountain-grown Cabernets. At altitude, balance comes naturally. Sun, soil, and wind conspire to create wines of depth, grace, and unmistakable place.

JD97 The 2022 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, all from the Keyes Vineyard, is a massively concentrated, full-bodied effort that delivers a complex array of red, black, and blue fruits alongside iron, foresty notes, and sage nuances. This gorgeous wine boasts tremendous mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and a remarkable sense of richness while staying balanced and elegant. Aged 22 months in 89% new French oak, it’s a powerful, mountain-grown Cabernet that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve gracefully for two decades or more.