2018 Rudius Savory Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2018 Rudius Savory Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

RUDIUS

SAVORY ESTATE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 HOWELL MOUNTAIN 

2018 Rudius Savory Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
In 1998, David Abreu and Rick Forman planted a tiny 1.3-acre plot at the top of Howell Mountain at an elevation of 1780 feet. Each vintage, the Savory Estate vineyard shows off its vast potential with powerfully concentrated fruit, rock-solid structure, and supreme ageability, that’s vividly depicted in Rudius’s 2018 vintage.
 
Jeff Ames began his winemaking career interning with Lynn Penner-Ash in Oregon and later worked as Thomas Rivers Brown’s assistant winemaker for Outpost, Schrader, and TOR before becoming the head winemaker for TOR in 2005. The Savory Estate vineyard provides Jeff with the pieces to the puzzle that make up his hedonistic signature style, with past vintages scoring well into the upper 90s. Here’s an opportunity to own this incredibly limited Howell Mountain Cabernet, priced to savor.
 
RUDIUS
SAVORY ESTATE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 HOWELL MOUNTAIN 
Retails at: $135
 
 
 
“The Rudius 2018 Savory Estate Cabernet is a visually compelling wine with an inky black center core and a deep ruby hue at the edges. The nose and palate dance beautifully together as they balance a vast array of compelling characteristics, including muddled blackberries, black currants, gunflint, dried green herbs, fresh cut violets, and Italian glove leather, along with hints of vanilla, baker’s chocolate, and white pepper. The palate is exceptionally concentrated and powerful yet finds the perfect symmetry between structure, intensity, and elegance. I struggled to find the perfect analogy to describe it, but it is like a bodybuilder who is also a world-class ballet dancer. It’s not what you’d expect at first glance but is thrilling to behold. I think this stunning effort is precisely what everybody looks for in an incredible mountain Cabernet. It is still a baby, and as great as it is now, you can enjoy it any time over the next several decades. Simply gorgeous!”
98 Points

2016 Rudius Savory Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

RUDIUS

SAVORY ESTATE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 HOWELL MOUNTAIN 

The smallest plots of land can have the greatest potential to produce the most vivid interpretations of their terroirs. The home vineyard of legendary winemaker Jeff Ames is Savory Estate, which sits at 1780 feet on Howell Mountain. The tiny 1.3-acre vineyard produces potent fruit and wines with tremendous structure, depth, and age-ability. With a 98 point score on the 2016 vintage, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure yours.
 
Icons David Abreu and Rick Forman planted Savory Estate, and they chose Clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, used in numerous cult wines. The soils are a mixture of clay and gravely loam, and when matched with the extreme elevation, produce intensely concentrated fruit. 
 
Jeff Ames mentored under Thomas River Brown at Schrader, Maybach, Outpost, and TOR before becoming head winemaker at TOR in 2005. His wines are some of the deepest, most hedonistic, and balanced that I’ve found anywhere near this price level, and with these incredibly high scores, this one could disappear fast. 
 
RUDIUS
SAVORY ESTATE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 HOWELL MOUNTAIN
Retails at: $135
 
 
 
“The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Savory Estate comes all from a great, higher elevation vineyard on Howell Mountain and checks in as 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. It spent 27 months in French oak prior to bottling, and there are a scant 125 cases made. This sensational effort boasts a dense, inky color as well as a kaleidoscope-like array of blueberries, blackcurrant liqueur, bay leaf, iron, and an almost bloody, meaty character that’s hard to describe. The palate doesn’t lose a beat and is full-bodied, deep, concentrated, and structured, yet also ethereal and elegant. This is mountain Cabernet at its finest! It has some upfront appeal already, yet my money is on it benefiting from 4-5 years of bottle age and cruising for 25-30 years. Hello, beautiful!”
98 Points
 
“The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Savory Estate, from Jeff Ames’s home property on Howell Mountain, is superb. A great example of the Howell Mountain appellation, the 2016 possesses tremendous depth and tons of savory aromatic presence. There is so much to like and admire in this potent, virile Cabernet Sauvignon. All the elements are wonderfully fused together with appealing notes of chocolate, leather and dried flowers that develop in the glass. The 2016 is explosive, vivid and simply stunning in its beauty. That’s all there is to it.”
96 Points