The 2002 growing season was lovely and cool during the spring and early fall, with only a few intense September heat spikes, and a long dry harvest with no rain. Although the daytime temperatures soared several times at the end of the summer, the nights remained cool, (sometimes 50 degrees less!), and this allowed the grapes to continue to mature on the vines until all the taste components were balanced with the smooth acids in the fruit. We continued to irrigate so that the fruit didn’t shrivel during the heat and the lengthened growing season, and monitored the balance and flavors, selectively harvesting several times and finally finishing in mid October.

With this vintage there was good news…and bad. There was a drastic decrease in tonnage, but the overall ripeness and intense vineyard and varietal flavors allowed winemaker Michael Trujillo to expertly blend all of the separate blocks into the E II, eliminating our home-brew “Almost Howell Mountain” bottling that we have been accustomed to enjoying nightly and with friends and visitors. More for you…less for us! Only 55 cases were produced of the 2002 E II… but we still reserve the right to drink our fair share!

The 2002 E II Napa Valley Red Wine is composed of grapes from the “J” block and ‘the bottom 40’ (made up of a field blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with a little Merlot and Cabernet Franc), as well as a little pressed wine from the HL. It was treated almost identically to the HL in the winery, with the use of one-year-old French oak and one new barrel to help layer flavors.

“The 2002 vintage is a very serious and classic vintage; forward, yet with tame tannins and in general reminds me of the 1994 vintage, but richer, more velvety and silky and with more complexity,” says winemaker Michael Trujillo. Like many other growers, our crop levels decreased more than 30% from the abundant 2001 vintage, but quality remained outstanding with rich, concentrated, ripe-fruit flavors and smooth tannins. “There were no orphans in this vintage…no wines that didn’t fit in nicely to this blend.”

In the nose, there’s bramble and black olive and an herbal/red fruit character that rolls into caramel with a hint of the typical HL black licorice after the wine opens up. “But it’s a very pleasant wine and none of the herbal, youthful nose carries into the palate.

The field blend of varietals gives the E II softer tannins than the signature HL, and highlights the red fruit flavors; red raspberry and cherry. It has a bold, ripe Merlot character, with Cabernet Sauvignon length. There’s a definite creaminess to this wine, and a little spice that rolls off into caramel after the youth shakes off.”