The 2012 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a majestic wine from O'Shaughnessy.
This intriguing blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 4% Merlot, 4% St. Macaire, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Carmenere opens with bold aromas of blackberries, dark currants and crème de cassis woven together with sweet spices, graphite, pencil shavings, violets and hints of smoke which all come together in the glass.
This intense, powerful, concentrated wine is full-bodied, multi-dimensional and structured around beautifully polished tannins. The finish is deep, layered and persistent, leaving behind a mouthful of ripe dark fruits, sweet spices and graphite notes lingering on and on.
This continues to unwind and evolve with each second in the glass and should continue to do so over the next two decades. (Best 2017-2032) - December, 2015 (JD) - 94