2021 Cade Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

CADE is part of one of Napa's most quietly ambitious wine families — the PlumpJack Group. Three wineries, each one a different expression of Napa Cabernet depending on where you grow it: PlumpJack on the valley floor, Odette in Stags Leap, and CADE up here on Howell Mountain at 1,800 feet. Each one distinct, each one serious. CADE is the mountain chapter — and when they built it, they went further than most, making it one of Napa's first LEED Gold-certified wineries. That means the building itself was designed and constructed to the highest environmental standards: energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable materials.

The 2021 vintage draws fruit from the original CADE estate vineyard and the 13th Vineyard on Howell Mountain, a combination that amplifies the site's complexity. Winemaking at CADE emphasizes minimal intervention, allowing the mountain terroir — volcanic, well-drained soils, intense sun exposure, and cool evening temperatures — to express itself fully. The blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon is rounded out with Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Merlot, varieties that add aromatic lift, floral notes, and mid-palate richness without diluting the wine's mountain spine.

2021 in Napa Valley was a year shaped by careful farming following a challenging 2020 fire season. Low yields concentrated flavors, and a long, even growing season with warm days and cool nights allowed for excellent phenolic ripeness. The result across Howell Mountain was a vintage that is more accessible in youth than many prior years, yet with the structural integrity — deep tannins, bright acidity — to reward a decade or more of cellaring.