2007 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
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Tasting notes
(15.2% alcohol): Dark red-ruby. A touch of maturity to the very ripe aromas of roasted dark fruits, coffee, mocha and nutty oak; smells like a high pH (actually 3.83). Plush and fine-grained in the middle palate, conveying a lightly savory character to its flavors of cassis, black cherry and chocolate. Not a particularly vibrant or primary wine, this Cabernet communicates a hint of shriveled grapes. Finishes with chewy, dusty, slightly unrefined tannins and very good but not outstanding length. Capiaux described 2007 as having "the character of a straighforward year."
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright, deep red-ruby. Black fruits, licorice and bitter chocolate on the nose. Deep, dense and tactile, with an enticing silky texture and an intriguing saline nuance to the flavors of black cherry, cassis and dark chocolate. There's a medicinal quality here that contributes to the complexity of this sweet but energetic wine. Really quite three-dimensional in its palate feel. (ST)
The stunning 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain (83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and the rest Malbec and Petit Verdot) is the finest Cabernet this estate has yet produced from their Howell Mountain holdings. A dense purple color to the rim as well as an exquisite bouquet of black raspberries, blueberries, camphor, creme de cassis, smoke, and crushed rocks are followed by sweet fruit, gorgeous density, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a layered, multidimensional mid-palate and length. With no hard edges, this flawless wine should drink well for 20-25 years. One of the superstar estates on Howell Mountain, winemaker Sean Capiaux is the force behind these impressive reds. Capiaux also makes his own wines (almost all Pinot Noirs) under the Capiaux Cellars label. Those cuvees will be reviewed in the February, 2010 issue in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino, and Sonoma report. Tel. (707) 965-2898; Fax (707) 965-3010