Member’s Mark Private Reserve Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Kicking off a slew of Sam’s Club reviews with the 2023 Member’s Mark Private Reserve Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon!

Our retail store lists have consistently been some of the most popular on the site. And while we’ve covered a few Sam’s Club wines in the past, we’ve never had a ton of demand from readers – until recently! Well, we’ve heard your pleas and we’ve got a whole bunch of reviews on the way.

We’re starting with Napa Cabernet. To our surprise (and delight) we found that Sam’s has some nice looking offerings from many of the big name Napa sub-appellations:

These include:

• Member’s Mark Private Reserve Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
• Member’s Mark Private Reserve Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon
• Member’s Mark Private Reserve True Oak Vineyard Oak Knoll District Cabernet Sauvignon
• Member’s Mark Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

We’ll review each one of these separately but today we are diving into the 2023 Member’s Mark Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petite Sirah, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot from Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California. The oak aging regimen is not disclosed. The wine has 4.5 g/L of residual sugar.

The wine is produced by Navigator Wine Collection who make a number of private label wines and until recently were part of Precision Wine Company. The head winemaker is Mike Rayner who used to be the winemaker for Cameron Hughes, among others.

Let’s check it out!

The Member’s Mark Private Reserve Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is available exclusively at Sam’s Club for just $15.94.

From Sam’s Club:

2023 Member’s Mark Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Private Reserve
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petite Sirah, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot

Aroma: A sophisticated nose of blackcurrant, blackberry, and ripe plum, complemented by a refined touch of toasted oak, vanilla, and subtle espresso and mocha notes. Hints of tobacco, leather, and a delicate floral note of violet add layers of complexity.
Taste: The oak lends warmth with hints of cedar and spice, while elegant undertones of herbs and earth enhance the wine’s depth.
Body: Full-bodied and velvety, with concentrated flavors of dark fruit, dark chocolate, and a touch of crème brûlée.
Finish: Long, smooth, and complex, with the oak influence lingering gracefully, balanced by vibrant acidity and dark fruit. The finish showcases both power and finesse, with excellent aging potential.

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Producer Expertise: The wine is crafted by a second-generation, Napa-born winemaker with over thirty-four harvests in the valley. His deep roots in the Napa wine community and expertise in Cabernet Sauvignon have culminated in this masterfully blended 2023 vintage, which showcases the hidden treasures of Napa’s mountain sub-appellations — specifically, the exceptional terroir of Howell Mountain.

Vineyard Source: Sourced from historic vineyards in one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious sub-appellations, Howell Mountain, this Cabernet Sauvignon embodies character, finesse, and power — the hallmarks that have made this mountain terroir world-renowned. Vineyards sit at elevations of approximately 1,400 to over 2,300 feet, above much of Napa’s morning fog. The vineyard where the Member’s Mark Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced generally experiences warm, sunny days and cool nights, creating significant diurnal shifts that preserve natural acidity while allowing full phenolic ripeness. Soils are predominantly volcanic ash, rocky, and iron-rich clay, with low fertility and excellent drainage. These conditions naturally limit vine vigor and yield small, thick-skinned berries that translate into high concentration, firm and refined tannin structure, pronounced minerality, and long aging potential. The Member’s Mark Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon has great structure, depth, and a distinctive mountain-driven profile. Our goal is to make this rare gem available to all Sam’s Club members, particularly those who appreciate premium Cabernet Sauvignon and collectors seeking distinctive expressions from Napa Valley.

Sustainable Practices: Through sustainable farming and careful wine-making that respects the grapes and terroir expression of these historic vineyards, we guarantee the quality of Member’s Mark – Private Reserve – Howell Mountain – Cabernet Sauvignon for years to come.

PH: 3.7
RS: 4.5 g/L
Acidity: 6 g/L
SO2 Total: 78
SO2 Free: 20
Volatile Ac: 0.8
14.3% Alcohol

Wow, that’s a lot of info, which is rather refreshing given the drought of information on most of the Costco, Trader Joe’s and Aldi wines. The only thing missing is the oak treatment, which would be nice if they would add.

The 2023 Member’s Mark Private Reserve Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon opens with plenty of ripe and juicy smelling dark berry fruit plus vanilla, cedar, cigar box and touches of baking spice and dried flowers. It’s a nice Cab aroma.

Tasting the full-bodied wine reveals a smooth and velvety mouthfeel with good depth and richness on the tart, juicy fruit. It features similar flavors to the nose with well-integrated spice plus some added chocolate notes in the mouth. It’s not as complex as we were hoping for a Howell Mountain wine, but it is certainly a crowd-pleasing type of Cabernet that is done well.

It ends dry, grippy, soft and a bit oaky on the long finish and was just as good on day 2.

 
Looking for more of the best wine selections at Sam’s Club? Browse our growing guide along with more info about the store!

You can also find all of our favorite Cabernet Sauvignon here!

Review Summary

Member's Mark Private Reserve Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon • Reverse Wine Snob

Kicking off a slew of Sam's Club reviews with the 2023 Member's Mark Private Reserve Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon!

Editor's Rating:
7.3

Pros

• Rare Howell Mountain Cab for well under $20
• 89-90 points

Cons

• Only at some Sam's Club locations
• Could have a bit more complexity