Lokoya Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Lokoya Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley's Howell Mountain AVA, bottled at 15.0% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Scoring 96 points from James Suckling, this vintage draws from the historic W.S. Keyes Vineyard — planted in 1888 and the exclusive source for this bottling since Lokoya's inaugural 1995 vintage.
Quick Facts: ABV: 15.0% | Origin: Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California | Vintage: 2019 | Winery: Lokoya (Jackson Family Wines)
Production & Heritage
Lokoya was founded in 1995 by Jess Jackson under the Jackson Family Wines umbrella, with the singular mission of producing mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley's most distinguished peaks. Winemaker Christopher Carpenter oversees the program, which sources the Howell Mountain bottling exclusively from the W.S. Keyes Vineyard, situated at 1,825 feet above the fog line on the northeastern flank of the Vaca Range. The lean, quick-draining soils at that elevation stress the vines into producing small, intensely concentrated berries. Fermentation relies on native yeast, and the wine is aged in 91% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered — a minimally interventionist approach designed to preserve the vineyard's singular voice.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: The nose opens with a wave of crème de cassis and boysenberry, followed by darker, more complex layers of black olive tapenade, graphite, and spring flowers. A pronounced cast-iron minerality and conifer undertone anchor the bouquet and signal the wine's mountain origins.
Taste: The entry is rich and full-bodied, with açaí, blackberry puree, and dark cherry flooding the mid-palate. Firm, grippy tannins provide formidable structure, while a vibrant line of acidity keeps the massive fruit in check. Menthol, licorice, and lead-pencil notes emerge as the wine opens, building toward an opulent, dramatic peak of concentrated mountain fruit and gravel-toned minerality.
Finish: The finish is long and deeply textured, with lightly toasted oak framing lingering dark fruit and violet. A persistent iron-and-graphite thread extends well beyond the final sip, reinforcing the wine's sense of place and aging potential.
How to Drink Lokoya Howell Mountain
This is a wine built for still, attentive drinking. Serve it at 62–65°F in a large-bowled Bordeaux glass, and decant for at least one to two hours — the 2019 is still youthful and needs air to fully unfurl its layers. James Suckling suggests giving it three to four years of additional cellar time to reach its stride. While this Cabernet is best appreciated neat, its massive structure and dark fruit profile could anchor a bold red wine cocktail for the adventurous: a Claret Cobbler, where the wine's cassis richness pairs naturally with seasonal berries and citrus; a New York Sour, where the wine floated atop bourbon echoes its own oak character; or a Sangria Negra, a dark-fruit Spanish-style sangria that would amplify the boysenberry and blackberry core without masking the wine's complexity.
Best For
- Cellaring for long-term aging — the 2019 vintage has the tannic backbone and acidity to evolve for 15–25 years
- Gifting a serious Napa Valley collector who values single-vineyard mountain Cabernet
- Anchoring a special-occasion dinner built around prime dry-aged steak or braised short ribs
- Comparing Howell Mountain terroir side-by-side with other mountain AVA Cabernets
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Lokoya Howell Mountain taste like? The 2019 delivers a powerful, opulent profile of blackberry, cassis, and açaí, framed by firm mountain tannins and a signature iron-and-graphite minerality. It is a full-bodied wine with fresh acidity and a long, dark-fruited finish accented by toasted oak.
How does Lokoya Howell Mountain compare to Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain? Both are estate-driven, single-AVA Howell Mountain Cabernets with pronounced mountain tannin and strong aging potential, but consumers consistently describe Lokoya as darker in color, fuller in body, and more fruit-forward than Dunn. Dunn tends toward a more austere, classically structured style, while Lokoya amplifies fruit intensity and richness without sacrificing the wildness and freshness that define the appellation.
Is Lokoya Howell Mountain good for sipping neat? Absolutely — this is a wine designed for contemplative drinking on its own, ideally after a generous decant. Its layered complexity and evolving aromatics reward patient, undistracted attention.
Where is Lokoya Howell Mountain made? Lokoya sources this bottling exclusively from the W.S. Keyes Vineyard at 1,825 feet on Howell Mountain, located in the northeastern Vaca Range of Napa Valley, California. The vineyard was originally planted in 1888, making it one of the oldest continuously farmed sites in the Howell Mountain AVA.
What foods pair well with Lokoya Howell Mountain? Dry-aged ribeye steak, whose marbled fat softens the wine's firm tannins; braised lamb shanks with rosemary and root vegetables, which echo the herbal and dark fruit notes; wild mushroom risotto with black truffle, matching the wine's earthy minerality; hard aged cheeses like Comté or aged Gouda, which mirror the wine's depth; and dark chocolate with 70%+ cacao, complementing the finish's bitter cocoa and violet tones.
What sizes does Lokoya Howell Mountain come in? The Lokoya Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is available in the standard 750ml bottle.
Is Lokoya Howell Mountain worth the price? Lokoya positions firmly in the ultra-premium tier of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and its pricing reflects the rarity of a single-vineyard, single-AVA wine from a 136-year-old vineyard site. With a 96-point score from James Suckling and a production philosophy centered on native yeast fermentation and no fining or filtration, it competes directly with Napa's most celebrated mountain Cabernets.
Why Lokoya Howell Mountain?
What separates the 2019 from the broader field of Napa mountain Cabernets starts with the W.S. Keyes Vineyard itself — a site planted in 1888, perched at 1,825 feet above the fog line, where stressful growing conditions force low yields of deeply concentrated fruit. Christopher Carpenter's winemaking philosophy adds nothing and removes nothing: native yeast, 91% new French oak, no fining, no filtration. The result is a wine that earned 96 points from James Suckling and carries a Wine-Searcher aggregated average of 96/100, placing it among the top-scoring Howell Mountain Cabernets of the vintage. For collectors and enthusiasts seeking an uncompromising expression of one of Napa Valley's most distinctive terroirs, the 2019 delivers mountain power, mineral complexity, and decades of aging potential in a single bottle.
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
Lokoya Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley's Howell Mountain AVA, bottled at 15.0% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Scoring 96 points from James Suckling, this vintage draws from the historic W.S. Keyes Vineyard — planted in 1888 and the exclusive source for this bottling since Lokoya's inaugural 1995 vintage.
Quick Facts: ABV: 15.0% | Origin: Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California | Vintage: 2019 | Winery: Lokoya (Jackson Family Wines)
Production & Heritage
Lokoya was founded in 1995 by Jess Jackson under the Jackson Family Wines umbrella, with the singular mission of producing mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley's most distinguished peaks. Winemaker Christopher Carpenter oversees the program, which sources the Howell Mountain bottling exclusively from the W.S. Keyes Vineyard, situated at 1,825 feet above the fog line on the northeastern flank of the Vaca Range. The lean, quick-draining soils at that elevation stress the vines into producing small, intensely concentrated berries. Fermentation relies on native yeast, and the wine is aged in 91% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered — a minimally interventionist approach designed to preserve the vineyard's singular voice.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: The nose opens with a wave of crème de cassis and boysenberry, followed by darker, more complex layers of black olive tapenade, graphite, and spring flowers. A pronounced cast-iron minerality and conifer undertone anchor the bouquet and signal the wine's mountain origins.
Taste: The entry is rich and full-bodied, with açaí, blackberry puree, and dark cherry flooding the mid-palate. Firm, grippy tannins provide formidable structure, while a vibrant line of acidity keeps the massive fruit in check. Menthol, licorice, and lead-pencil notes emerge as the wine opens, building toward an opulent, dramatic peak of concentrated mountain fruit and gravel-toned minerality.
Finish: The finish is long and deeply textured, with lightly toasted oak framing lingering dark fruit and violet. A persistent iron-and-graphite thread extends well beyond the final sip, reinforcing the wine's sense of place and aging potential.
How to Drink Lokoya Howell Mountain
This is a wine built for still, attentive drinking. Serve it at 62–65°F in a large-bowled Bordeaux glass, and decant for at least one to two hours — the 2019 is still youthful and needs air to fully unfurl its layers. James Suckling suggests giving it three to four years of additional cellar time to reach its stride. While this Cabernet is best appreciated neat, its massive structure and dark fruit profile could anchor a bold red wine cocktail for the adventurous: a Claret Cobbler, where the wine's cassis richness pairs naturally with seasonal berries and citrus; a New York Sour, where the wine floated atop bourbon echoes its own oak character; or a Sangria Negra, a dark-fruit Spanish-style sangria that would amplify the boysenberry and blackberry core without masking the wine's complexity.
Best For
- Cellaring for long-term aging — the 2019 vintage has the tannic backbone and acidity to evolve for 15–25 years
- Gifting a serious Napa Valley collector who values single-vineyard mountain Cabernet
- Anchoring a special-occasion dinner built around prime dry-aged steak or braised short ribs
- Comparing Howell Mountain terroir side-by-side with other mountain AVA Cabernets
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Lokoya Howell Mountain taste like? The 2019 delivers a powerful, opulent profile of blackberry, cassis, and açaí, framed by firm mountain tannins and a signature iron-and-graphite minerality. It is a full-bodied wine with fresh acidity and a long, dark-fruited finish accented by toasted oak.
How does Lokoya Howell Mountain compare to Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain? Both are estate-driven, single-AVA Howell Mountain Cabernets with pronounced mountain tannin and strong aging potential, but consumers consistently describe Lokoya as darker in color, fuller in body, and more fruit-forward than Dunn. Dunn tends toward a more austere, classically structured style, while Lokoya amplifies fruit intensity and richness without sacrificing the wildness and freshness that define the appellation.
Is Lokoya Howell Mountain good for sipping neat? Absolutely — this is a wine designed for contemplative drinking on its own, ideally after a generous decant. Its layered complexity and evolving aromatics reward patient, undistracted attention.
Where is Lokoya Howell Mountain made? Lokoya sources this bottling exclusively from the W.S. Keyes Vineyard at 1,825 feet on Howell Mountain, located in the northeastern Vaca Range of Napa Valley, California. The vineyard was originally planted in 1888, making it one of the oldest continuously farmed sites in the Howell Mountain AVA.
What foods pair well with Lokoya Howell Mountain? Dry-aged ribeye steak, whose marbled fat softens the wine's firm tannins; braised lamb shanks with rosemary and root vegetables, which echo the herbal and dark fruit notes; wild mushroom risotto with black truffle, matching the wine's earthy minerality; hard aged cheeses like Comté or aged Gouda, which mirror the wine's depth; and dark chocolate with 70%+ cacao, complementing the finish's bitter cocoa and violet tones.
What sizes does Lokoya Howell Mountain come in? The Lokoya Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is available in the standard 750ml bottle.
Is Lokoya Howell Mountain worth the price? Lokoya positions firmly in the ultra-premium tier of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and its pricing reflects the rarity of a single-vineyard, single-AVA wine from a 136-year-old vineyard site. With a 96-point score from James Suckling and a production philosophy centered on native yeast fermentation and no fining or filtration, it competes directly with Napa's most celebrated mountain Cabernets.
Why Lokoya Howell Mountain?
What separates the 2019 from the broader field of Napa mountain Cabernets starts with the W.S. Keyes Vineyard itself — a site planted in 1888, perched at 1,825 feet above the fog line, where stressful growing conditions force low yields of deeply concentrated fruit. Christopher Carpenter's winemaking philosophy adds nothing and removes nothing: native yeast, 91% new French oak, no fining, no filtration. The result is a wine that earned 96 points from James Suckling and carries a Wine-Searcher aggregated average of 96/100, placing it among the top-scoring Howell Mountain Cabernets of the vintage. For collectors and enthusiasts seeking an uncompromising expression of one of Napa Valley's most distinctive terroirs, the 2019 delivers mountain power, mineral complexity, and decades of aging potential in a single bottle.
