Community Tasting Note

• Franken Berry Likes this wine: 95 points

  June 4, 2023 - I continued to gravitate back to this wine throughout the evening. In many regards, I found this wine to be the most satisfying, for few reasons. First, this came from an extraordinary vintage in Napa, and this particular bottle has likely entered the beginning of its peak drinkability. In addition, through the miracle of science and voodoo, I seemed to have given this just the right amount of air ahead of time. I slow ox'd for 3 hours, which I define as I opened the wine three hours ahead, full decant, immediately back in the bottle, and recorked. Perhaps it was aided by the spirited uber ride from the suburbs into south philly across local roads (think Mr. Toads wild ride) that properly agitated the wine as well.
  
  There is simply a richness and balance to O'Shaughnessy's Howell mountain cabernet - per the winemaker, the goal here is to achieve a richer, riper, sweeter and complex style of mountain cab, and he typically exceeds in spades in most years. There are seven different varietals here which help to achieve this goal, although the cabernet and merlot lead the way. The structure and power of the mountain fruit is balanced by its complexity, richness, and sweetness.
  
  Blue fruits, dark cherries, bramble, forest floor, sweet tannins, iron ore that finishes with coarse but sweet tannins.
  For those interested: The blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 5% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Saint Macaire, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenere, all brought up in 80% new French oak.

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2 Comments

• Mark1npt commented:

  6/5/23, 11:42 PM - I agree 100% with all your descriptors and this full write up. Just remembered I forgot to post my review but now that yours is up, I have nothing of substance to add to it, great job! Thanks for bringing this beautiful bottle, FB!

• Mark1npt commented:

  6/6/23, 7:31 PM - ps....just realized I have one of these in my cellar too, yay!!!!!

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