2004 Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Community Tasting Notes (127) Avg Score: 91.2 points

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  9/15/2023 - Jeffmiller42 Likes this wine: 91 Points

  I enjoyed this one, but it couldn’t stand up against some others at this dinner. It still had good body and good complexity with this age but I’d say it’s pretty much at its end. IMO I would drink up any you have.

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  5/28/2022 - mouton45 wrote: 90 Points

  I opened a magnum of 2004 Ladera Howell Mountain for a family gathering today to celebrate my oldest son's birthday. Went very nicely with a Wild Fork's Wagyu Picanha roast on the Weber. At 17 years old, the wine was still very balanced and a pleasure to finally drink (bought in 2009). But IMO it wasn't quite as rich or dense as the 2001, 2002 and 2003 vintages (all from 750mls) that I've drunk this year. I was expecting the Howell Mountain bottling to exhibit bigger black-fruit aromas and a bit more length. The tannins were was well resolved like the other bottles, and the oak was pretty subtle as well. One surprise: when I decanted it about two hours before dinner, it had very little sediment. I still have one more 2004 HM mag, and two 04 mags from Lone Canyon Vineyard across the valley. I don't think aging them any longer will substantially improve those bottles, so I look forward to drinking them in the near term, especially when we have a larger group that works with the magnum format.

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  2/21/2020 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points

  I coravined a taste of this last weekend and had my first major disappointment with Ladera. That all changed with a 45 minute decant & food tonight.
  
  This bottling & for many vintages in the early 2000’s was the steal of Howell Mountain producers. I was buying it at Costco for $41-$45. Now & for some time, you can’t find a bottle of this at Costco regardless of price.
  
  The nose as I was decanting it was very perfumed florals with potpourri. Now, the nose sings with the blue & purple fruits that identify wine as a Howell Mountain producer. Blackberries, blueberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, mulberries, dark cherries, black plum, plum, stewed strawberries, raspberries haunt the background, sweet tarriness, dark, berry cola, black licorice, dry & fresh herbs-bay leaf driven, limestone, dry crushed rocks, softly laid baking spices; clove, vanilla, cinnamon & nutmeg, dark spice, dark chocolate bar, dry tobacco, some graphite, soft, used leather with spectacular, candied, fresh & slightly withering; dark, red, purple, blue florals framed in soft violets & fields of lavender.
  
  The body is full, rich, lush and round. The tannins are nicely resolved but, still show baby teeth & tarriness. The tension, structure, length and balance are just the other side of peak. Blackberries, blueberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, mulberries, dark cherries, black plum, plum, stewed strawberries, raspberries haunt the background, sweet, very dark, tarriness, cherry kirsch liqueur, dark, berry cola, black licorice, dry & fresh herbs-bay leaf driven, limestone, dry crushed rocks, moist clay, softly laid baking spices; clove, vanilla, cinnamon & nutmeg, black tea, dark spice with comfortable palate heat, dark chocolate bar, expresso roast, dry tobacco, some graphite, soft, used leather with spectacularly floral, candied, fresh & slightly withering; dark, red, purple, blue florals framed in soft violets & fields of lavender. The acidity is near perfect & holds back the slightly higher ABV. The finish is; rich, round, elegant, sexy, gorgeous, velvety, well balanced and persist endlessly.
  
  Not as outstanding as their 2002 but, very good & still has another 8 years & possibly plus of good drinking ahead. Proper storage of course.

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  9/16/2019 - Michigan Mostberg Likes this wine: 93 Points

  From magnum. Soft and resolved with enough backbone behind it for another 3-5 years. Fantastic secondary cabernet dark fruit and baking spice notes, finish goes on and on.

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  10/13/2018 - Chambolle 2 Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Upon opening it's nose is compelling exhibiting tar, phenols, currents and other black fruit. Still tannic at opening but displaying a mouthfeel of an excellent Cabernet. I expect it to be better after 2-3 hours in the decanter. With 2-3 hours the wine began to soften but lost some of its fruit. still a very good well made cab with a very nice medium finish.

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