O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery established itself as a pioneer of mountain Cabernet from Napa Valley's Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder AVAs. The estate owns further land in the Oakville, growing each of the 8 historic Bordeaux varietals— Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carménère, St. Macaire, and Gros Verdot.
O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery: Napa Mountain Origins
Betty O'Shaughnessy Woolls, a Minnesotan farmer and entrepreneur, landed in Napa Valley's famed Oakville AVA in 1990. O'Shaughnessy acquired a small parcel that would act as the estate's groundwork, before formally establishing O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery with her husband, Paul Woolls. The Oakville parcel was true virgin land, with no water, no electricity, no erosion control plan, and no permits; ultimately, the development plan took an astonishing 8 years, and the inaugural O'Shaughnessy Cabernet was not produced until the 2000 vintage.
The acquisition of land in Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder came as part of the redevelopment. O'Shaughnessy purchased 35 acres in Howell Mountain and 32 acres in Mount Veeder, acting as a trailblazer alongside La Jota Vineyards, Dunn Vineyards, and Beringer Vineyards in producing mountain-high Cabernet.
O'Shaughnessy Winery: Vineyard & Terroir
Howell Mountain, the second oldest AVA in Napa Valley after Carneros, is renowned for its prestigious hillside regions. Though O'Shaughnessy Winery did not start out in the territory, proprietor Betty O'Shaughnessy purchased land beginning in 1997 and have planted 35 acres of Bordeaux varietals since. Here, O'Shaughnessy owns three different vineyards: the Amphitheater Vineyard, Rancho Del Oso, and Osprey’s Nest Vineyard.
"One of the superstar estates on Howell Mountain, winemaker Sean Capiaux is the force behind these impressive reds." — Robert Parker
When planting the sites, O'Shaughnessy used the help of Beringer's long-time vineyard manager, Bob Steinhauser, and even used vine cuttings from the estate. Many of Howell Mountain's vineyards are planted on volcanic soils, while iron-rich clay is also common. These soils force the vines to produce small, intense grapes, rather than leafy foliage. The resulting intensity is beautifully reflected in O'Shaughnessy's wines, offering a firm tannic structure and exceptional aging potential.
Alongside the land in Howell Mountain lies 32 acres in Mount Veeder, renowned for housing esteemed wineries such as Mayacamas Vineyards and Lokoya Winery. Here, O'Shaughnessy grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Carménère, and St. Macaire. The steep hillside, Betty's Vineyard was acquired in 2000 and produces small berries of intense flavors due to the poorly drained and malnourished soils. Since its 2002 inception, the O'Shaughnessy Mount Veeder Cabernet has arguably become the estate's most acclaimed and sought-after wine, earning sixteen 95+ point scores from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate.
O'Shaughnessy Wine: Winemaker & Vinification
Sean Capiaux has served as O'Shaughnessy Winery's only head winemaker, playing an integral role in the estate's rise to fame. Capiaux first started his winemaking journey at California State University, Fresno in the late 1980s before working at Jordan Winery and Pine Ridge Winery and earning a coveted spot as assistant winemaker at Peter Michael Winery. Additional experience from Peter Michael Winery is held by the vineyard manager, Alan Peirson, who is responsible for designing, building, and managing the Peter Michael Winery Estate.
Capiaux is best known for his minimal intervention winemaking at O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery, harvesting each varietal separately from mid-Septmeber to early October. After using an optical sorter, the fruit is then fermented with 90% indigenous yeasts in stainless steel fermenters for 10 to 14 days, given a cold soak for four days, then aged in 70% new oak.
O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon: Wine Portfolio
O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery is best known for its trio of Cabernet Sauvignon, each grown and produced from Oakville, Howell Mountain, and Mount Veeder. The blends contain small amounts of the seven other historic Bordeaux varietals, with varying amounts added to each label. The O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet and O'Shaughnessy Mount Veeder Cabernet have become the estate's flagship wines, with around 10,000 total cases produced each year.
Each wine is known for its rich, concentrated palates with incredible aging potential. While bottles are accessible at a young age, the O'Shaughnessy winemaking team advises cellar-aging for increased layers.
O'Shaughnessy Chardonnay
The O'Shaughnessy Chardonnay was first crafted in the 2007 vintage and is best known for its bright yellow hue, honeysuckle, pineapple, and lemon aromatics, and elegant and balanced profile. The fruit is planted on the Oakville estate with tight spacing on a unique site for the varietal. The young alluvial fan from the Vaca Mountains produces fruit of nuanced depth and complexity, becoming one of Napa Valley's most celebrated white wines.
O'Shaughnessy Cabernet 2018
The 2018 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon was heralded for its structured profile, tightly grained tannins, and chocolate and licorice notes.
O'Shaughnessy Cabernet 2019
The 2019 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon was acclaimed as one of the estate's greatest recent efforts, gaining a 94-point score from Jeb Dunnuck, who noted the wine's immense age-ability and currant and blackberry notes.
Grace Your Cellar with O'Shaughnessy Wine
At around $100 per bottle, O'Shaughnessy Cabernet is one of Napa Valley's greatest values, regularly earning high scores at an accessible fruit. These wines are perfect for drinkers in the market for mountain-grown Cabernet, containing highly intense and concentrated flavors. Browse our selection of in-stock O'Shaughnessy wines and add a bottle to your cellar today.
