O’Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Betsy O’Shaughnessy and her husband started with the most ideal spot in one of the most exclusive (and expensive) AVAs in all of Napa. Their vineyards sit perched high atop Howell Mountain at an elevation of 1,800 feet. Next – they hired superstar winemaker, Sean Capiaux (Jordan, Pine Ridge, and Peter Michael), to oversee the selection of the ideal clones for each and every parcel. Now with mature vineyards (over 20 years old), these wines are just beginning to achieve their true potential.

That doesn’t mean they haven’t received a bevy of over-the-top accolades. In the now 20 years O’Shaughnessy has sent their Howell Mt. Cabernet to Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, only once has their wine failed to receive at least a 93-pt score (the uber-challenging 2011 vintage).

In the near perfect 2016 vintage in Napa, Capiaux turned out an absolute beauty, easily worthy of the 96+ review from the Wine Advocate if not a few more points. Jeb Dunnuck, the Wine Advocate’s former editor and wine critic agreed. In his 97-point review of the wine, he called it, “Brilliant”, “Classy” and “Seamless” with “Fabulous concentration” and at a “Fabulous value”.