Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard Howell Mountain 2012 750ml

Outpost makes mountain-grown wines on Howell Mountain, and its True Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is the estate's most structured bottling. The 2012 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 90% new French oak, with only about 375 cases made. Robert Parker described it as "built like a skyscraper," with blackberry, blueberry, floral, forest-floor and spice notes, while Stephen Tanzer found dark berries, licorice, herbs and minerals with silky texture. Significant tannin meant it needed patience at release, and more than a decade on it has softened into a broad, multidimensional Howell Mountain Cabernet. Drink now through about 2035.