The Armantes Estate
Armantes is made at the Bodega San Gregorio, a cave co-op founded in 1965 that counts 250 members. It is located in the Ribota River Valley, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the city of Calatayud. D.O. Calatayud is located in Aragon, a province unparalleled in Spain by its variety of landscapes (lush river valleys, mountainsides and semi-desert areas.) The name Calatayud derives from a Moorish governor named Ayub who built a castle (qalat) at the confluence of the Jalon and Jiloca rivers (qalat Ayub.) There has been thriving population here as far back as Roman times when the old city of Bilbilis was used as an important staging-post for the Roman legions on their way north to Gaul.
The Armantes Vineyards
The coop cultivates 900 hectares (2,200 acres) of primarily Garnacha (70%) and Tempranillo (20%) with some white Macabeo and other varieties. Most of the vines are at least 40 years old and some are 50+. The vines, planted “en vaso”(head-trained) are not irrigated, offering very low production levels. Local soils are rich in limestone, marl and slate, providing plenty of opportunities to make good wine on a regular basis of which Armantes is a perfect example.
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Far Niente Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc .
An elegant perfume of mixed berries, baking spice, dried lavender and thyme open onto a full palate layered with expansive mixed berry, black tea, toasted oak and spice flavors. Focused and fresh, fine grained tannins support the wine throughout, while the finish is silky, long and lifted.
The wine combines select vineyards in Rutherford, Calistoga and St. Helena that complement our home in Oakville and embody our long-established house style. Cabernet has been a hallmark of Far Niente’s winemaking program beginning with its very first vintage in 1982. The marriage of these diverse vineyard sites has allowed us to craft our finest expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine exemplifies our nearly four decades of mastery in growing and making Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Review:
With a slight nose of reduction, this wine offers grippy tannin and sizable oak. Blueberry, currant, cedar and sage give it an elegance and classic structure of understated power, finishing in notes of tobacco and clove. Enjoy from 2029–2039. Cellar Selection
-Wine Enthusiast 96 Points
This is a classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with an opaque purple color and perfumed aromas of blackberry compote, orange blossom, cassis, creme brulee, and cocoa. On the palate the wine is plush and concentrated with well-integrated tannins and a vibrant finish. Lush enough to be consumed now and structured enough to hold for decades thanks to the mountain heritage of this beautiful wine.
Review:
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is an incredible wine, and it flirts with perfection. Full-bodied and concentrated, it has flawless balance and elegance as well as just textbook Howell Mountain notes of blue fruits, cassis, violets, graphite, and background oak. I love its tannins, it has remarkable purity of fruit, and a great, great finish. It has some appeal today yet deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and should have over two decades of longevity.
-Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points
Winemaker Sean Capiaux has crafted this Howell Mountain staple for more than two decades. In 2019, he's made a knockout! Explosive aromas of ripe, black fruit, wild mountain sage, turned earth and toasty oak. Enveloping on the palate with an intricate mix of black cherry, blackberry and blueberry fruit moving quickly into more savoury notes of crushed stones, cassis, wildflowers. Finishing long and with vibrancy and lift. A powerful core of firm fine-grained tannins are nicely integrated. Great cellar potential.
-Decanter 97 Points