Robert Parker The Wine Advocate recently reviewed three wines from Howards Folly written by Mark Squires. Find them on their website here
Hill Valley Sonhador Howard’s Folly Branco Colheita branco 2019
89 Points - The Wine Advocate, Mark Squires
“The 2019 Sonhador Howard’s Folly is a field blend from old vines of grapes like Fernão Pires, Arinto and Sercial, all aged in an 85/15 mixture of stainless steel and new French oak for nine months. It comes in at 13.3% alcohol. Lovely, this has reasonable concentration, better freshness, purity and beautiful fruit. It handles the oak very well. It tastes great while remaining dry and fairly intense. This seems very capable of aging well, perhaps improving. It was a bit less impressive as it warmed, but still very good—and the price is right. We’ll see in a few years where it goes, but in the meanwhile, let’s start here. NOTE: This brand used to be the winery’s Vinho Verde (which now appears as Alvarinho, not Sonhador Branco), so don’t get confused. This is now from Alentejo.”
Hill Valley Alvarinho Howard’s Folly 2017
89 Points - The Wine Advocate, Mark Squires
“The 2017 Alvarinho Howard’s Folly, the winery’s Vinho Verde effort, is unoaked and without fizz. It comes in dry and at 13.5% alcohol. Solid in the mid-palate, this initially emphasizes its structure more than fruit. Don’t misunderstand that point. It’s not that the fruit is bad or without character, but it is nicely supported, especially in the context of this vintage, and it lingers on the finish. That makes this seem alive. As it airs out and warms up, this recent submission (even though it is a 2017) demonstrates better expressiveness as well. It is never, however, an Alvarinho that is particularly high in character. It’s a perfect table wine, however. It should hold well for several more years, at least.”
Hill Valley Tinto Sonhador Howard’s Folly 2016
88 Points - The Wine Advocate, Mark Squires
“The 2016 Tinto Sonhador Howard’s Folly is a roughly equal blend of Syrah, Alicante Bouchet and Aragonez with 10% Touriga Nacional, all aged for nine months in a roughly 60/40 mixture of used oak (mostly French) and stainless steel. It comes in at 13.9% alcohol. All the fruit is from the Portalegre subregion. Elegant and even a little silky, this easygoing Tinto is a pleasure to drink for its impeccable balance. It also expresses its grape blend beautifully, with hints of beef around the edges, and adds a reasonable but gentle finish. It’s a perfect food wine. It’s probably a step short of distinguished, but at the nice price, it is a great choice for a house pour or a restaurant wine. It has plenty of life left, but I doubt it will notably improve, so dive in when you wish.”