2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
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Tasting notes
(15.3% alcohol): Bright, dark ruby-red. Very ripe, even slightly roasted aromas of dark fruits, chocolate, black olive tapenade and garrigue ; conveys a slight dried fruit character. Then fat and very ripe but quite dry in the mouth; highly concentrated but a bit brooding and musclebound in the early going, and not showing the sweetness of the '14. This may be going through a dumb stage, as the fruit is very much in the background today. Finishes with big, dusty tannins that will require patience. Sean Capiaux noted that this vintage was "almost too big on release and didn't show the wine's normal prettiness."
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is O’Shaughnessy’s largest cuvée of wine, nearly 3,300 cases from her vineyard, with a final blend that is somewhat unusual - 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 5% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Carménère, and a rather obscure one, 3% St. Macaire. Dense purple in color, with notes of mulberry, blackberry, graphite and spring flowers, the wine has great fruit, a dense, full-bodied mouthfeel, and wonderfully sweet, well-integrated tannin. The acidity is sound, the purity impressive, and the wine long and reassuring. Drink it over the next 20+ years.
Deep, inky and powerful, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a classic wine endowed with tons of regional character and personality to burn. The inclusion of all seven Bordeaux varieties in the blend adds layers of nuance and complexity. Hints of game, smoke, licorice and dark spices add nuance to a somber, brooding Cabernet Sauvignon that is going to need at least a few years to fully open up.