About Ink Grade Estate
Ink Grade Estate takes its name directly from its address — Ink Grade Road, a narrow mountain road climbing the eastern flank of Howell Mountain on the boundary between Napa Valley and Pope Valley. The name is topographic truth: the estate is on Ink Grade Road, and Ink Grade Road is where this Cabernet Sauvignon comes from.
Howell Mountain's defining characteristic — the volcanic red soils derived from ancient pyroclastic deposits at 1,400 to 2,200 feet elevation, well above the Napa Valley fog line — imparts an intensity and tannic structure that sets mountain Cabs apart from their valley-floor counterparts. The high-elevation vineyards see greater diurnal temperature swings, lower yields, and the kind of mineral complexity that volcanic substrates uniquely contribute.
Wine Advocate has scored Ink Grade Estate's Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon at 92–96 points, noting the characteristic mountain structure and concentration alongside the vineyard's distinctive volcanic-mineral character.