Cakebread, Dancing Bear Ranch, Howell Mountain

Lovely mouthfeel. Smooth but well rounded. Tannins definitely mellowed. Drank decanted. Dark fruits. Delicious enjoyed on its own.

2006 vintage

Very good wine. Very little nose, maybe due to age. This would be the only thing that has really slipped with the age. Its tannins have probably mellowed a bit, but its flavor is so good. Soft and complex, earthiness, and a little dark berry and acid at the back.

2005 vintage

Initially tight and restrained after 30 minutes in the bottle, but significantly improved after an hour in the glass. Aromas and flavors opened up with time, revealing a smooth, well-integrated profile with softened tannins and balanced acidity. The additional aging has brought out elegant secondary notes alongside muted fruit - much more nuanced. Patience was rewarded even at this age—this wine is at peak or slightly past and paired perfectly with Christmas dinner.

2011 vintage

Great bottle brought by L&G to the table......classic black Howell Mtn fruit on the nose and palate....quite dense with great weight. The tannins are softening, and the wine is very well balanced, but I feel it is still early for this one. I only see it getting better with more time. Easy 95, almost 96 tonight. Maybe 97 down the road? Thanks for sharing, G!

2013 vintage

What a difference 4 years in the cellar made for this wine. DD for one hour exact and then began consuming about 1.5 hours later with Mark & Carol visiting from Naples. This wine is what a great California Mountain wine is meant to taste! The nose is seductive and inviting, body is medium plus to almost full body, dark fruits with blackberries and cocoa, solid tannin, in perfect harmony now and very long finish. I think this wine is …

2013 vintage

Premiere Napa Valley wine. #30/60 bottles for this lot. This was delicious but suffered from being drunk along side a 2006 Cardinale. This just didn't have the same elegance or charm but still an absolute treat. Very glad to have tasted this wine. Drinking very well at this stage.

2005 vintage

Cocoa and stewed prunes. Colour showed its age but seemed far more youthful on the palate. This was good but should be even better with more bottle age.

2013 vintage

Deep dark inky red. Bold flavors of leather, berry, pepper, with long finish sticking to my tongue. What a nice long finish! Nice tannins but not too harsh. Light acidity.

2012 vintage

A well deserved score! Why? The aromas of dark fruit and forest; the flavors of blackberry, dark cherry and very slight flint. The long lasting finish with a bold but smooth mellow palate. This mellowness is achieved by balanced tannins and acidity along with just the right amount of alcohol content. The long lasting legs on the glass tell you that you are in for something special. This is my first bottle of 3, which I will consume between now …

2012 vintage

Has all the power and presence of Howell mountain, with the age and maturity to properly showcase through the tannins. Just a remarkable expression of terroir I have drank to young to many times.

2004 vintage

Used for WSET L3 exam

2005 vintage

Decanted for 45 minutes to an hour. Deep opaque purple. Muted nose of stewed prunes. This wine didn't seem quite ready for prime time. Seemed a tad disjointed but went great with braised short ribs. Was expecting a more luscious and velvety expression but this wine still had some sharp angles to it. Had two bottles with my daughter, her fiance and future in laws. Probably should have waited on these for another five years but i figured a ten …

2013 vintage

Clear deep ruby/violet; clean medium plus to pronounced nose of cassis, vanilla, baking spices, balsamic and prunes; dry; high acidity; high tannins; high alcohol; medium plus body; pronounced flavour intensity; palate is tarter with addition of cocoa, tar, brambleberry, balsamic and spice cake; long finish; drink now or in 5 years; delicious!

2013 vintage

Still has nice fruit but the backend structure is lacking. Rather one dimensional, may be past its peak at this point.

2004 vintage

Should have decanted. PnP over two hours. Blue fruit. Medium plus finish. Drinking well but still can sit down for a while.

2013 vintage

Its drinking very well right now. All pieces have come together. But, one could keep this in cellar for another decade.

2012 vintage

Howell Mountain cab...expected a lot...but delivered less than my expectations. However, it is still an enjoyable CA cab. I will try (this was my first) another bottle soon and give a better in-depth review.

2013 vintage

Dunks Mushroom dinner with the Kelleys

2005 vintage

Same as previous note

2012 vintage

As all the reviews said this wine is wonderful.

2013 vintage

So happy I held on to this and resisted the urge to open it sooner. With enough air time, this wine impeded beautifully Plenty of fruit and complexity but without the earthy, tannin, bomb of flavor that would overshadow the jam and berry. The balance is amazing. Wait 50 years to open. And worth it.

2012 vintage

Still a beautiful wine and to celebrate closing of our old house! Cheers

2013 vintage

2012 Dancing Bear Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, Napa Valley Vineyards Our Dancing Bear Ranch on the slopes of Howell Mountain in northern Napa Valley ranges in elevation from 1,100 to 1,900 feet and enjoys a near 360 degree exposure, offering a wide range of rowing conditions. Planted in shallow, rocky, volcanic soils in 24 separate blocks based on varietal type (cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc), sun exposure, soil profile and clonal selection, the vines are routinely stressed, yielding …

2012 vintage

Wow! lifted perfume of cassis. Elegant but at the same time quite a full mouthful of beautifully pure dark berry fruit. Well balanced and pleasure giving - simply wonderful! Long and already has complexity - a multi layered wine. After decanting for 2 hours this got even better. The slight rough tannic edges of youth were smoothed away and it put on weight to become a harmonius beauty. So can drink now and will continue to improve for at least …

2013 vintage

We’ve been holding onto this for a decade, waiting for the moment. Glad the moment arrived. This was ready to drink, though it still has plenty of tannins. Also raspberries and vegetal notes.

2006 vintage

Brilliant, slow to open, then great.

2012 vintage

Wow. After a 1 hour decant, this wine was noted be all at our dinner. Dark color and great aroma. This is a special occasion wine. If you ever have a chance try this or add to cellar

2013 vintage

Exceptional. What a perfect cab. The merlot adds just a hint of softness but overall very well balanced, delicious fruit and mild tannins. 8 years seemed a great amount of time on this wine. Decanted for just an hour before drinking

2013 vintage

decanted longer versus the other bottle

2012 vintage

Christmas dinner

2013 vintage

One of the best California cabs I’ve had in a while. Decanted 3 hours. Damn near perfection.

2013 vintage

Fall weekend- pandemic special

2013 vintage

N/A

2012 vintage

delicious and smooth - perfect drinking window. Dark fruit and earth on the nose, plum to the taste. Loved this bottle

2005 vintage

Smooth, rich fruit flavors with a nice lingering finish. Very happy!

2013 vintage

This wine shows the impeccable provenance of Howell mountain fruit, and the skill of the Cakebread family. The depth and breadth of black and red fruit combined with the fully integrated tannins, yield a seamless beauty. Notwithstanding their reputation for producing approachable cabs when young, the wines have always aged well and rewarded patience. I would refer to this as more of a plateau than a peak as this has staying power.

2006 vintage

Still showing well, but would recommend drinking it now if you have it in the cellar.

2006 vintage

Decanted for an hour. Deep purple with some rim variation. Beautiful bouquet of cherries, cinnamon, forest floor, mint. The palate shows a terrific freshness and vibrant acidity, with integrated oak and tannins. Concentrated flavours. Persistent finish. Just great balance. Has the makeup to keep evolving for some time to come. Bravo!

2012 vintage

Full fruit. Smooth. Lasting finish.

2013 vintage

A big, robust mountain cab that perfectly complemented our filets. The common wisdom seems to be to drink this one now, but I could see it continuing to mature and improve for another 3-5 years.

2011 vintage

Dense nose of plum jam and espresso, opening to white button mushrooms and and herbs. Palate is soft with ripe tannin and lowish acid. Overall soft and four square, not my style.

2012 vintage

A mediocre wine. Fruit was insipid and aroma was off.

2013 vintage

tasted along many 2012's (HA Ark and FFB, Realm, Solari, Kathryn Hall, Shafer HSS, Spottswoode, and others)- this came across as forward and fruity (?maybe from the Merlot), midweight and lively.

2012 vintage

Amazing flavor! Drank with great friends Oct-19.

2012 vintage

I decided it was time to open one of two bottles purchased at the winery in May of 16 as great friends were over for dinner. No formal notes as this was 5 days ago but I can say that the wine did not disappoint my already elevated expectations. Everyone agreed it was fantastic with both enough power for some impact and restraint for elegance. A wonderful domestic Cabernet

2012 vintage

Had it blind last night at our CWG-D thanks to David. It’s a fantastic wine, bold, big, long finish, we’ll balance with the right amount of oak. I have other vintages but it’s the first time having the famous 2012!!!

2012 vintage

Drank the bottle at the lake, on the lakeshore, with Kristie watching the sunset.

2012 vintage

Very nice concentration of dark purple fruits, cocoa, smooth tannins and acidity. Somewhat elegant in style.

2012 vintage

As usual a very nice bottle from Cakebread. Might not be their best vintage, fruit a bit overwhelmed with oak/wood. Things did smooth out with a bit of air.

2005 vintage

Enjoyed in a throwdown vs the baseline 2012 CB Cab. Sure the DBR won, but not by as much as I thought he would. This is an exceptional wine, and exceptionally good with steak dinner. Big jammy red fruit flavors, with distinctively smooth taste and finish. Lots of delicious complexity and big mouthfeel here. It was wonderful on opening and kept getting better. No complaints whatsoever - just not sure it’s worth 2x the baseline Cab. Always fun to compare …

2012 vintage

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Cakebread, Dancing Bear Ranch, Howell Mountain

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