And in this corner, we have the Vaca-born, Howell Mountain Bordeaux Blend sporting an Entry No. 027. Bottled on May 19th and weighing in at a deceptive 4.63 lbs – “Sunset” steps into the ring.

Hailing from a vaunted producer atop Howell Mountain. Sourced entirely from a single vineyard. Both shall remain nameless.

But if you listed one or two producers on the mountain, their name would likely be on that short list. 

We swore on a blood oath that we would not share with anyone. But let it be known – this stuff is the TRUTH. 

The most direct comparison to this bottle sports a $195 price tag, and regularly scores in the 96-97 or higher range. While this is certainly a different expression, that should give you a reference point. The lowest something like this would sell for is maybe $125.

Getting a Howell Mountain red of this caliber for under $50 is wild. 

We have far less freedom to explore the pedigree of the grapes we sourced here, compared to the Spring Mountain counterpart. But their status is unquestionably peerless. And reference points aside, this too shows a completely unique Archival style of its own. 

Here, peak sunlight arrives later in the day and temps remain warmer. The dry climate and deep red spectrum of light drives ripening via heat and dehydration. Sugars concentrate, water recedes, tannins deepen. The result? Brooding, dense, lower acid wines. This late-day expression of Bordeaux varietals offers a revealing counterpoint to its companion “Sunrise” from the opposing side of the valley.

Sunset shows a deeper, tighter wound expression drenched in purple/black fruit. Here we leaned on Cab Franc as the foundation, with Merlot and Cab Sauv rounding it out. Pouring slightly more opaque in the glass, it’s all dark blackberry and cedar and dark chocolate, with mulberry jam and violet. This one is also tightly wound in its infancy, and imposingly rolls across the palate like that huge stone ball chasing Indiana Jones. But on day two that quickness slows to a cruise. The saturating fruit hangs longer. A looming tannic backbone still churns behind it all like like a steamroller, making sure every nook and cranny of your mouth gets paved with a smooth finish.

I don’t need to remind you this is just a newborn. Sunset should prove a heavyweight contender over the next decade or two and will steadily improve for those who have the patience.