2023 Castiel Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

San Francisco Wine Panel Score 98+ Points

This large-scale, purple hued Cab is dramatic and impressive from the moment the cork is pulled. The aromas show their authentic Howell Mountain stamp, fanning out as a focused medley of dark sour cherry, black currant and black raspberry fruit supported by sweet vanilla, baking spice, sage, laurel, graphite, emerging notes of eucalyptus and dark forest-floor accents. If notably flavorful all the way through a very long finish, it is clearly still in its youth, as that rich fruit eclipses five to eight years of significant tannic grip. Already big, ripe and gutsy, it should age into a dramatic and memorable wine, quite possibly a great one. For the moment, airing, followed by service with rich meat entrees, is called for. 175 cases produced.

Decanter Magazine 99 Points
A polished, beautifully concentrated, and boldly structured full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa’s epic 2023 vintage, crafted by Maayan Koschitzky, the Screaming Eagle alum. The voluptuous tannins are sweetly spiced, positively gorgeous, and impressively integrated, especially given the intensity typical of high-elevation fruit. Aromatics are striking and refined, offering pretty anise notes, sagebrush, and pulverised graphite. The palate is full-bodied, layered with ripe cassis and black cherry, nuances of pressed wildflowers, underscored by elegant cedarwood accents. Castiel is owned by Dave and Kathleen DiCesaris and is sourced from two sites on Howell Mountain: one on the northern reaches of the AVA rooted in volcanic soils, the other in the heart of the appellation near Angwin with deeper soils. The wine is aged for 22 months in 80% new French oak from a mix of Bordeaux cooperages. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2040. Jonathan Cristaldi 17 Mar 2026