In King of the Hill, the 2018 Mirror Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon makes no game of it. Draped in deep garnet, with strapping tannins on broad shoulders, and an elixir like cologne of crushed herbs and clove. Beautiful from the start it strides the tongue with a bevy of dried cherries and star anise, a slight sweetness on the entry with Balaton-like acidity and pleasant astringency building through the mid palate. The long linger evidences youth, brawny and bold. Only rest and deep time will tame this one. I believe cellared correctly, this wine will live out to 2039 or longer.
Dark fruit, brooding with black olive, toasted oak, and black licorice. A touch of violet opens to an energetic lift on the mid palate – stewed cherries and roasted capsicum – with tapering tannins and great acid structure. A meal eater’s wine, sure to pair perfectly with almost any braised short rib or grilled tri-tip that’s worth setting a fine table and inviting friends.
A breezy and bright rosé reflective of its origins on those sunny windswept slopes of the Calesa Vineyard in Petaluma Gap. Wafts of cherry skin, strawberry purée, and red hard candy pique the nose, while layers of lavender oil and sea salt slip over the tongue. Some wines have grip, this one has charge… it’s almost electric.
The 2019 Mirror Chardonnay catches the sun with beautiful straw-like hues that recall the rolling hills of Petaluma Gap from which it comes. A perfect expression of the varietal’s potential on the Sonoma Coast, it’s nose dances with lemon tart, crème brûlée, and tangerine skins. Generous depth and hydraulic mouthfeel leave a lasting impression of tropical pineapple and sliced green apple on the palate.
This Sauvignon Blanc is absolutely shining. Not just the beautiful, clean pale straw color, but the vibrant, cool lift of assorted white flowers, Freestone peach, pear, honeydew melon and freshly cut lemongrass in the nose. While the wine works up with both time in glass, and rising temperature, further swirls invite those oh-so-classic white Bordeaux notes of struck stones, flint, and graphite. The palate is clean and racy and dances on the tongue. Lemon curd, lime zest and underripe pineapple all mix, and zing, and exit the palate with a touch of friendly tart salinity eagerly demanding another sip to quench. This is certainly a fresh Sauvignon Blanc that joyfully walks the line of Bordeaux meets Napa Valley.
