O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Pay attention winelovers, it's not often that you have an opportunity to partake of a sensational, beautifully proportioned, creamy wine such as this O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Enough talking. Open your first bottle and stand back as the stupendous flavors make their entrance. A fitting partner for your first taste is a terrine of short rib meat slow-cooked with smoked paprika and garlic, served with tangy caper berries and thinly sliced crusty bread. That ought to be an appropriate introduction to the magnificent density and forest floor in this Napa Cabernet. Moving on, the myriad of black fruit, creme de cassis, minerals, full body and world class weight and finish require serious meaty fare such as lamb, beef, game and steak. We hope you're hungry. If you're thinking ahead to the holidays, we can't conceive of a better wine for a show stopping standing rib roast with spinach-porcini stuffing and two mushroom sauce. Offer it with full glasses, a golden potato gratin and French beans with caramelized shallots on the side and watch as sheer delight commandeers the room. Bring out the fruit in this O'Shaughnessy with medallions of venison with port and cranberries. If a little less labor is your choice, we highly recommend an easy Provencal leg of lamb. Roast it with tomatoes, onions, rosemary, thyme and mustard and a little drizzle of honey while you have another glass of this Howell Mountain red. Offer the lamb with a creamy gorgonzola polenta and your guests might never leave. Bring on even more happy with a mile-high dark chocolate cake with espresso fudge buttercream, and of course, another bottle. Just one more thing: have the smelling salts on hand; there could be swooning...

James Suckling: "Blue flowers and fruit on the nose, as well as licorice, tea leaf and dark chocolate. It’s medium-bodied with firm, tight tannins and fresh acidity. A distinct, saline streak cuts through the dark fruit. Try from 2023." Jan 2021