O'Shaughnessy Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

No pomp and circumstance for the wine I choose for the 4th of July at my house this year. Although it does have an Irish Immigrant sounding name: O’Shaughnessy! Immigration having something to do with how our great country came to be. Being a bit of a hot topic right now, I’ll leave my comments at that and focus on the wine as it should be for a wine blogger.

Beginning in 1990 with the purchase of land in Oakville, Betty O’Shaughnessy with her husband Paul Woolls continued to expand to other areas of Howell Mountain and then to Mount Veeder in Napa Valley where their focus is on Cabernet Sauvignon blended with up to seven additional blending grapes: Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec, Carmenère, Saint Macaire and Gros Verdot. In 1999 they hired Sean Capiaux as winemaker, where he continues his work to this day. The wines are all small production and high quality.

My choice for this particular wine on this particular day had only to do with the fact that I had multiple bottles of the wine and wanted something big and rich (it was that and more) than what to go with my Baby Back Rips (what else do you serve on the 4th?) and my Horseradish Mashed Potatoes. I would usually put a picture in about now, but as I was using paper plates (easy cleanup), I decided against it.

Gorgeous aromas lifting from my glass; the first sip assailing my palate with deep dark fruit combined with a slight rustic element. The wine; rich, lush, and full-bodied from the moment it was opened. While their Mount Veeder and Howell Mountain Cabs may benefit from a good decant, this wine needed no such prodding. It was the perfect pick for a relaxing and laid back afternoon while enjoying great food and wine.

Cheers