Luis goes to Cahill Bistro: This seemed jammy and slightly alcoholic to me, with a lot of fruit. It definitely tasted like Napa, but not much like a traditional merlot. Of course it was still decent.
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Decanted two hours, with another 4 hours of slow O back in the bottle. Fresh red and black fruit, bold, but not over the top. I found it more subdued earlier in the evening and more fruit-forward when I revisited it 20 or 30 minutes later. A bit young for my tastes, but I enjoyed it. This will go years and years. 92 now with lots of upside.
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Another Great Luis Tasting! (Cahill Bistro): 2 hour decant and 3 hours slo-O. Drinking quite well! Lots of cream of cherry with milk chocolate, hints of bramble. This is drinking quite well, and one of my favorites of the night. Perfect treatment, which also speaks to the fact that no hurry opening this wine, but if properly decanted, will reward now. Drink or hold. A very good value, IMO. 93+ to 94.
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3.5 years since I have rated a wine that received a 94 via CT abt 18 months ago. Mature, structured, but noticeably less sweet fruit versus the 2016 this was enjoyed alongside. Brambleberry, a little bit of clove, finished with good resolve and not too tannic or acidic. Drink these now!
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This was spectacular. Terrific balance; full-bodied and like velvet in the mouth, without feeling heavy in any way. The purity and depth of the fruit is fantastic. Truly, one of the best merlots I’ve ever had.
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Part of a "O'Shaughnessy vs. Other Napa Wineries" night" 3 O'Shaughnessys, 1 Anderson Conn Valley Cabernet and 1 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet. The 3 O'Sh wines were a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a 2010 Cabernet Howell Mountain. 8 people, all of the wines were open for at least 30 minutes before pouring, none were decanted.
Everyone liked this. Even the people, who normally don't care for Merlot. Long finish.
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Howell Mountain Spring Wine Tasting, SF, nose of dark fruit, cherry, plum, and floral notes, same on the palate, big body, intense fruit, mouth filling fruit, needs 5 years to peak, long, flavorful finish, one of my top 4 wines today, at $68 a buy!!!
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Opened and let breathe for a couple of hours. The other reviewers have done a good job articulating the flavor profile of this wine. My additional comments would be that this wine, while certainly a touch young, is drinking well now and I'd have no hesitancy in starting to work your way through your cellar for this one. I may develop slightly over the next year or so, but no need to wait if you allow it to open up before drinking. Also tried the next day and it kept its flavors while mellowing a tad.
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This wine is drinking well tonight. Continued to develop over an hour. Popped and poured to a dirty dark purple/black in the glass with some fine sediment on the cork. The nose was intoxicating, truffle and blackberry. This wine had a very eloquent and FULL BODIED entry. Blackberry cassis and some vanilla with a little bit of herb and some floral/lily note. The front had much more expression of cab franc. This wine gets a little darker and dirtier in the middle, but it kind of loses its lush "in a tux" quality here. Forest floor and nitrogenous notes in the middle of this. Finished with soft, sweet tannin, peppery, blackberry core with black tea burned onto the tongue. This one is young, but a MONSTER. I think it might still use another year or two in the bottle. Well rounded with fruit and dark-side notes both. I highly doubt this is 100% Merlot, but that's the claim! If this is drinking well now, why hold it for later? (but you could probably get away with it for another 4-5 years or so).
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I THOUGHT this one was a pop and pour.....until realizing after an hour that the wine was developing even MORE characteristics. On the pop is a little dirt on the cork. Dark stain, no bleed. Nose of truffle, blackberry, forest floor. Front is very expressive blackberry cassis, which is odd, but I guess is common for this Howell Merlot?, mushroom is rather secondary on the front, middle is still rather fruit rich but forest floor and nitrogenous notes started showing after an hour and kind of segwayed to the finish. Finished with soft tannin. Not a very traditional merlot, but I wasn't expecting that either. I think this wine is just young, and is probably not expressing the way it needs to be. I would still give it a 90, but NR is more appropriate.
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4/11/2024 - Winiac wrote: 92 Points
Sweet and ripe fruit. Delicious and crowd pleaser.
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5/6/2023 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Luis goes to Cahill Bistro: This seemed jammy and slightly alcoholic to me, with a lot of fruit. It definitely tasted like Napa, but not much like a traditional merlot. Of course it was still decent.
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5/4/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Decanted two hours, with another 4 hours of slow O back in the bottle. Fresh red and black fruit, bold, but not over the top. I found it more subdued earlier in the evening and more fruit-forward when I revisited it 20 or 30 minutes later. A bit young for my tastes, but I enjoyed it. This will go years and years. 92 now with lots of upside.
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5/4/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another Great Luis Tasting! (Cahill Bistro): 2 hour decant and 3 hours slo-O. Drinking quite well! Lots of cream of cherry with milk chocolate, hints of bramble. This is drinking quite well, and one of my favorites of the night. Perfect treatment, which also speaks to the fact that no hurry opening this wine, but if properly decanted, will reward now. Drink or hold. A very good value, IMO. 93+ to 94.
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11/24/2022 - Pat's Cellar wrote: 94 Points
Testing very well...nice balance of tannins and fruit. Was excellent for Thanksgiving. Glad I have 2 bottles left.
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12/30/2019 - mflesh wrote:
3.5 years since I have rated a wine that received a 94 via CT abt 18 months ago. Mature, structured, but noticeably less sweet fruit versus the 2016 this was enjoyed alongside. Brambleberry, a little bit of clove, finished with good resolve and not too tannic or acidic. Drink these now!
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4/19/2018 - AngelicWines wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic, balanced, velvety smooth heaven in a bottle!
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4/4/2018 - EMTAME wrote: 95 Points
This was spectacular. Terrific balance; full-bodied and like velvet in the mouth, without feeling heavy in any way. The purity and depth of the fruit is fantastic. Truly, one of the best merlots I’ve ever had.
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7/26/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Part of a "O'Shaughnessy vs. Other Napa Wineries" night" 3 O'Shaughnessys, 1 Anderson Conn Valley Cabernet and 1 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet. The 3 O'Sh wines were a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a 2010 Cabernet Howell Mountain. 8 people, all of the wines were open for at least 30 minutes before pouring, none were decanted.
Everyone liked this. Even the people, who normally don't care for Merlot. Long finish.
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5/13/2017 - Jbarryleonard wrote:
Very well balanced. Medium bodied. Long finish. One of the best merlots I have had.
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3/29/2017 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Howell Mountain Spring Wine Tasting, SF, nose of dark fruit, cherry, plum, and floral notes, same on the palate, big body, intense fruit, mouth filling fruit, needs 5 years to peak, long, flavorful finish, one of my top 4 wines today, at $68 a buy!!!
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3/29/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dueling Napa Valley Wineries (Lincoln Squre Steaks, Amsterdam Ave, New York City): My favorite Merlot in a blind tasting. It was my first O'Shaughnessy Merlot and I really enjoyed it. Notes of coffee on the nose.
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9/11/2016 - pvewino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and let breathe for a couple of hours. The other reviewers have done a good job articulating the flavor profile of this wine. My additional comments would be that this wine, while certainly a touch young, is drinking well now and I'd have no hesitancy in starting to work your way through your cellar for this one. I may develop slightly over the next year or so, but no need to wait if you allow it to open up before drinking. Also tried the next day and it kept its flavors while mellowing a tad.
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3/11/2016 - mflesh wrote:
This wine is drinking well tonight. Continued to develop over an hour. Popped and poured to a dirty dark purple/black in the glass with some fine sediment on the cork. The nose was intoxicating, truffle and blackberry. This wine had a very eloquent and FULL BODIED entry. Blackberry cassis and some vanilla with a little bit of herb and some floral/lily note. The front had much more expression of cab franc. This wine gets a little darker and dirtier in the middle, but it kind of loses its lush "in a tux" quality here. Forest floor and nitrogenous notes in the middle of this. Finished with soft, sweet tannin, peppery, blackberry core with black tea burned onto the tongue. This one is young, but a MONSTER. I think it might still use another year or two in the bottle. Well rounded with fruit and dark-side notes both. I highly doubt this is 100% Merlot, but that's the claim! If this is drinking well now, why hold it for later? (but you could probably get away with it for another 4-5 years or so).
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10/31/2015 - madalyn Likes this wine: 93 Points
very good, but still young. I would wait a year before opening another bottle
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4/18/2015 - mflesh wrote:
I THOUGHT this one was a pop and pour.....until realizing after an hour that the wine was developing even MORE characteristics. On the pop is a little dirt on the cork. Dark stain, no bleed. Nose of truffle, blackberry, forest floor. Front is very expressive blackberry cassis, which is odd, but I guess is common for this Howell Merlot?, mushroom is rather secondary on the front, middle is still rather fruit rich but forest floor and nitrogenous notes started showing after an hour and kind of segwayed to the finish. Finished with soft tannin. Not a very traditional merlot, but I wasn't expecting that either. I think this wine is just young, and is probably not expressing the way it needs to be. I would still give it a 90, but NR is more appropriate.
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