A few years ago, Betty O' Shaughnessy confided to me that The Wine Consultant was the only merchant in the country to sell her premiere release of 2000 O' Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain in Napa Valley.
I remember the day well, as we were visiting Betty O' Shaughnessy's then-under-construction winery for lunch to check out the latest Pinot releases from her winemaker Sean Capiaux. When lunch was served, there was the bonus opportunity to drink a few glasses of Betty's new wine. The 2000 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet had amazing depth and purity of cassis flavor, but more mesmerizing was its restraint and balance as Capiaux had somehow managed to tame the always aggressive and astringnent tannins the mountain's terroir is still known to express. My timing was opportune, as Betty O'Shaughnessy had only a little wine and no marketing plan for it yet.
Little has changed, except the winery is complete, Sean Capiaux continues to perform with his deft touch, and high ratings have elevated O'Shaughnessy to the rank of the cult followed. Lucky for us, Betty is always kind, and TWC still enjoys a near carte blanche allocation for the Howell Mountain wine.
"The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is comprised of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest six other grapes - Merlot, Malbec, St. Macaire (how often do you see that!), Petit Verdot, Carmenere, and Cabernet Franc - and is aged 20 months in three-fourths French oak. It has a dense purple color, a wonderful, crystalline nose of crushed rock, camphor, creme de cassis and spring flowers, and a full-bodied mouthfeel. The tannins are moderately high, but they are soft and well-integrated. This is a wine of tremendous intensity and plenty of up-side. Give this wine 2-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 20-25 years." 94+ points, Wine Advocate (Robert Parker) - 12/10
Now a retail value of $82.50 a bottle, the winery has asked us not to sell the 08 Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain for less than $75 a bottle. I say
