Howell Mountain Vineyards: winery information
Winemaker: Bryan Kane
Being primarily focused on making wine in the field, the goal of Howell Mountain Vineyards wines is to let the unique terroir of Howell Mountain come through in every bottle. Over the last several decades, Howell Mountain Vineyards has been led by notable winemakers including James Hall (Patz & Hall), Ted Lemon (Littorai), and Dave Phinney, known for his wine The Prisoner (Orin Swift). Howell Mountain Vineyards is currently led by up and coming winemaker Bryan Kane who, over the last ten years, has worked out of several notable wineries like Copain (next to the likes of Donum, DuMOL, and Carlisle) and Nicholson Ranch (where Schrader Cellar and others were made), and is currently the winemaker for San Francisco’s new urban winery, The Winery SF -- where he was recently named "Next Generation Cult Winemaker" by Sommelier Journal. Ultimately striving for balance with regards to alcohol, pH, and oak treatments, Bryan employs a minimal interventionist philosophy, taking full advantage of the terroir and the natural superiority of the land. We use only fine French oak barrels, opting against racy American oak, or heavy use of any one cooperage. Utilizing a barrel by barrel approach, we embrace proven, old-world winemaking methods, using native yeast, natural secondary fermentation, and minimal racking with no fining or filtering.
Annual Production: 1,200 cases
Perched at 1800 feet on the Vaca Mountain Range looking out towards Spring Mountain and Diamond Mountain in the Mayacamas Mountain Range, the property is home to some of the oldest Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the Howell Mountain Appellation. Thanks to Mike Beatty’s pioneering vision, he acquired the property in 1977 after two years of drought left others doubting the vineyard’s potential, and farmed it for quality, establishing it as one of Howell Mountain’s premium vineyards. This 34 acre vineyard, planted with equal parts of Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot for blending, quickly became a favorite for Howell Mountain wine producers like Dunn Vineyards, Ridge Vineyards, and Duckhorn.
Grape Varieties Planted