X gonna give it to ya!

Last we saw a legit Howell Cab under $30 was in 2020, no joke.

True to its namesake, X Winery is shrouded in a bit of mystery. Which is just fine by us (we are Spies, after all.)

When a wine is this good in QPR, we don’t ask too many questions! Howell Mountain. Under $30?!? 💥 🤯 … our emoji conveys it all!

Howeva, what we can tell you with some certainty is that the 2023 vintage overall is known for its high aromatics, and that does not disappoint here! Especially with the distinct Howell Mountain essence that comes with an X factor to us from the creative force behind it, founder and lead winemaker Reed Renaudin, of Amicus and DuMOL fame.

Renaudin is like a Robin Hood of sorts in the upper echelons of Napa Valley’s wine scene. For over a decade, he’s been combining his cellar acumen (honed via enology studies at UC Davis) with his formidable business prowess to deliver exceptional wine at prices that, by Napa standards, seem downright inconceivable.

With this, Renaudin, in collaboration with the folks behind beloved brands Grand Napa and Heir Apparent, has delivered an absolute OVERACHIEVER of a Cabernet from a Howell Mountain vintage that we were impressed with out of the gate, especially at this price! Drinking great out of the bottle, this small, hand-harvested Cab delivered with classic aromatics and flavors of dark cocoa, dark cherry, and blackberry with some toasted oak accents throughout. Medium-bodied and just a nice delight! Our agent tasters were unanimously impressed with the approachability and quality for the first mountain appellation carved out of Napa Valley!

It’s a new release and hasn’t been scored yet, but we have high hopes! (ehh..hem, like the Rutherford X last year with BIG scores like 97 POINTS from the Tasting Panel, and Decanter.) 2023 treated as a genuinely elite Napa vintage, and Howell Mountain specifically being called out by name in some critic circles, we are looking forward to the reviews.

Screamin’ deal! Howell… under $30. You get the point. Now, go get the wine!!