BigHammerWines.com

Let me start by saying, you'd be thrilled to pay the $120 asking price for this Napa Valley Cab. And, it's a deal at that price when compared to its neighbors such as Outpost, Robert Craig, and Dunn. So, at the BHW price, this is like stealing. This is going to be gone in a flash.

The story of Ink Grade Vineyard began in 1873, when visionary pioneers, including Theron Ink, first planted vines on the rugged slopes of what is now Howell Mountain. Their belief in the land’s potential laid the foundation for a legacy that would later capture the attention of one of Napa’s greats.

In 1989, Heitz Cellar—a name synonymous with Napa Valley excellence—purchased the Ink Grade property, replanting the vineyards in 1990 and incorporating its fruit into their acclaimed Napa Valley Cabernet. Nearly three decades later, in 2018, entrepreneur Gaylon M. Lawrence Jr. acquired Heitz Cellar and appointed Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy Jr. as President and CEO. Two years later, they founded Lawrence Wine Estates, relaunching Ink Grade as its own estate project led by Winemaker Matt Taylor, known for his site-driven, terroir-focused approach.

Today, Ink Grade stands as a bold yet elegant expression of Howell Mountain terroir, producing wines that include Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Andosol Red Field Blend, and this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Perched high above the Napa Valley floor, the Ink Grade Estate Vineyard climbs to 2,200 feet in elevation, where terraced vines cling to volcanic tufa soils. These extreme growing conditions—cool nights, steep slopes, and low yields—produce fruit of remarkable depth, structure, and aromatic precision.

The 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon reflects this mountain-born intensity with hallmark freshness and finesse. Incorporating a portion of Howell Mountain Cabernet, the wine delivers bright acidity, fine-grained tannins, and layers of cassis, cocoa, and savory spice. Balanced yet powerful, the vintage captures both Napa Valley’s classic elegance and Ink Grade’s distinctive volcanic energy.

This remarkable quality earned the 2019 Ink Grade Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon a place among Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2023, ranking #96—a testament to the estate’s commitment to excellence and the growing recognition of Howell Mountain’s world-class terroir.

Ink Grade embodies that spirit—a wine of origin, history, and energy, uniting Napa’s heritage with its modern renaissance. Note: the label is a print from a John James Audubon sketch.

So much pine needle, flowers, currants an,d ripe plums on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine and polished tannins. Linear and very tight with clarity and energy. Vivid is the word. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold. ~ 94 James Suckling

Heady and explosive red and black fruit notes are intermixed with an enticing graham cracker crust and toasty oak element. Full-bodied and overflowing with pure black fruits and more savoury-sweet oak spices. Powerful mountain tannins are burly and grippy, like the vines clinging to the rocks. Gaylon Lawrence purchased Heitz Cellar in 2018, including Ink Grade estate on Howell Mountain, an organically and biodynamically farmed 303-hectare ranch with 220ha planted to vine. In 2020, Lawrence Wine Estates CEO Carlton McCoy helped engineer the launch of Ink Grade as a standalone brand led by winemaker Matt Taylor. Born and raised in Windsor, California, Taylor worked at Eisele Vineyard for six years and worked a stint at Domaine Dujac and Joseph Swan. ~ 93 Decanter

Expressive, with bramble and black licorice notes leading off, followed quickly by fresh black cherry and currant preserves. Features flashes of bay leaf and mesquite on the sleek finish, with a strong mineral underpinning as well. Drink now through 2035. 5,600 cases made. ~ 92 Wine Spectator

Marked by black cherries and cassis aromas, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a fairly muscular effort—not that it's big or bulky, but it shows plenty of tannic depth and a crisply acidic spine. It should be capable of aging well, even if it's not hugely pleasurable at this particular instant. It's 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot aged in a mix of oak tanks and barrels. ~ 91 Robert Park

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