Nose
Aromas of red raspberries, currant, ripe plum and smoked meats.
Palate
Focused flavors of wild cherry jam, plum butter, and raspberry cobbler are followed by a long finish with integrated acidity and complex palate filling tannins. Muscular, but with restrained elegance, this wine carries the O’Shaughnessy trademark of balance and power.
Growing Conditions
O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery sits at 1,800 feet on the heralded Howell Mountain appellation in the beautiful Napa Valley. Founded in 1996, the estate encompasses one hundred and twenty acres. O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery uses modern equipment to produce non-interventionist wines that are naturally fermented and bottled unfined and unfiltered. These techniques allow the varietal character and terroir of O’Shaughnessy Estate vineyards to be the stars of the show.
Our estate vineyards now reaching full maturity at 20 years, reside on a 120-acre hillside property. Between 1997 and 2002, we planted 29 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 6 acres of Bordeaux blending varietals, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec, Carmenere, St. Macaire, and Gros Verdot. In pursuit of maximizing our options for flavor, we utilized several different root stocks and clones for our Cabernet Sauvignon plantings. The vines span two distinct vineyards, the Amphitheater vineyard derives its name from its shape across the hillside and the Rancho del Oso vineyard, boasts a resident black bear who visits from time to time. In 2012, we were fortunate to purchase an adjacent 15 acres and have planted Cabernet Sauvignon here. These three vineyards are farmed exclusively to produce our Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and Howell Mountain Merlot.
The 2014 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous and multilayered wine that showcases the complexity of all seven of the Bordeaux varietals that we farm.
Appearance
The wine is dark ruby red in color.
