The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and usually my favorite from Betty O’Shaughnessy. She produces just under 1,200 cases of this wine, which has the classic blueberry, blackberry and acacia flower nose that comes from the high elevations of this wild and backward mountain area in southern Napa Valley. Dense bluish/purple to the rim, with loads of blueberries on the palate, big-time glycerin, sweet tannin, low acidity and a long, layered finish, this is terrific wine to drink now and over the next 20-25 years. Betty O’Shaughnessy bought her property on Howell Mountain in 1996, and ever since 1999 has had the very talented Sean Capiaux making her wines. Her vineyards on Howell Mountain sit at a high elevation of just under 2000 feet in the red, rocky, volcanic soils the area is known for. I have always been a big fan of these wines, as they are full-flavored but incredibly pure and well-balanced, and that has continued with her bevy of 2014s.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is packed with black fruit, expresso, chocolate, licorice and graphite. Dense and layered, the 2014 offers notable persistence to match its structured personality. The aromatics show a touch of development, but the tannins are decidedly potent. The blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, the rest Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carménère, Petit Verdot and St. Macaire. (AG)