Pestoni is no stranger to our SommSelect faithful. We’ve been partnering with this classic producer of robust, age worthy Napa wines for years, but up until now, we’ve always focused on their pure varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. So today’s discovery is an exciting addition to our partnership. Sourced entirely from their high-elevation Howell Mountain vineyard, “Three Tears,” this blend of Cabernet and Merlot allows the Pestoni team to select the most exceptional fruit of the vintage and then blend it expertly into a masterpiece of fruit, spice, and structure. Like all great Howell Mountain wines, it needs time before it shows its true colors, which is why we were over the moon when the family offered us a small, precious parcel of their 2013 release. At just over ten years, this brooding beauty is showing its full kaleidoscope of aromatics and the tannins and wood spice are now integrated seamlessly into the luxuriously rich frame. It is built to “wow” any Napa lover, and at a price well below what most current release Howell Mountain cuvées fetch. What’s not to love?!?!
Although the Pestonis are nestled on the valley floor, one must look skyward to locate the origin of this special library release. Roughly 2,000 feet up Howell Mountain, the “Three Tears Vineyard” is home to 13 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and three acres of Merlot, the sole source of today’s wine. The site’s soils are rich in volcanic tufa and iron-heavy clay. Combined with cooler daytime temps and twice as much rain as the valley floor gets, the conditions are perfect for balanced, elegant wine that can age gracefully for decades.
2013 was a near-perfect vintage for the “Three Tears Vineyard,” with a dry, moderate spring followed by a warm summer that was consistent and generally free of heat spikes. A couple of late September rain showers allowed the fruit to ripen a bit slower, and hang longer on the vines, increasing phenolic maturity without losing structure. After picking and twice-sorting the fruit, the grapes were de-stemmed and transferred into stainless steel for fermentation. Upon completion, the resulting wine matured in new, high-quality French oak barrels for 24 months. This parcel has been resting in their cellar ever since.
The direct-from-the-winery provenance is evident the moment the cork is pulled. An opaque dark ruby hue, with the subtlest bricking on the rim, spills into a large Bordeaux stem and emits dense yet fresh perfume. After 30-60 minutes of air, this becomes a Howell Mountain archetype: intensely layered, ripping with muscle and dark fruit, and sizzling with black-rock minerality. Aromas of cassis, raspberry liqueur, ripe plum, crushed volcanic rock, graphite, cedar, cigar tobacco, mint, and violets carry through to the opulent, full-bodied palate. As it passes the decade-mark, it’s just starting to unravel some savory, earthy soul, and the oak has become almost fully integrated. Those who want primary fruit and power, start uncorking your bottles now and over the next five years. Those who want more of a sinewy, secondary-dominated, old school mountain red should set some aside for even longer. There is plenty of life left in this beauty! In truth the ideal is to grab enough bottles to do both. When consuming, grill or pan-sear a ribeye—few pairings are more simple and delicious than this.
