The Vice - 'Coyote Loser' - Howell Mountain - Cabernet Sauvignon - 2021

The Vice's 'Coyote Loser' is a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain, Napa's high-elevation appellation known for volcanic soil and firm, structured reds. The name is winery slang for a winemaker who bails mid-harvest, and also a nod to the coyotes that raid the vines right when it's time to pick. The 2021 vintage came from one of the driest, lowest-yield years on record in Napa, which only concentrated the fruit. A distinctive bottle for the Cabernet drinker who's already worked through the usual Napa names. Concentrated blackberry, dark cherry and cassis with tobacco, graphite and wild sage underneath. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannins and a long, silky finish. Volcanic-soil minerality shows through on the back end.