Arkenstone
Estate Obsidian Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California, USA
The fruits on the nose are delicately soft and beautifully crafted; dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, boysenberries, black raspberries, sweet minerals, dark moist soils, spice-box, anise, black cherry cola, field of wild dark florals and sweet tarry notes. On the palate, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, boysenberries, plum, cherries, poached strawberries, plum cake, dusty soft tannins with some teeth, sweet tarry notes, spices intensify in heat and presence as it sets. Soft leather, underbrush, light pepper notes, blue fruits start to emerge, black licorice, dark florals, violets, pink roses & crumbly volcanic minerals. The length, structure, balance and acidity is extremely well put together. Really fine juice. Interesting note of experience. There were times I felt like I was tasting two different wines simultaneously...like left and right channels. Photos of their exterior entrance to the cellar, patio shot looking back at the winery and sloping vines on the back side of their estate. A big thank you Ron & Susan Krausz the proprietors for their time, knowledge and the walking tour.
The fruits on the nose are delicately soft and beautifully crafted; dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, boysenberries, black raspberries, sweet minerals, dark moist soils, spice-box, anise, black cherry cola, field of wild dark florals and sweet tarry notes. On the palate, blackberries, dark cherries, black plum, boysenberries, plum, cherries, poached strawberries, plum cake, dusty soft tannins with some teeth, sweet tarry notes, spices intensify in heat and presence as it sets. Soft leather, underbrush, light pepper notes, blue fruits start to emerge, black licorice, dark florals, violets, pink roses & crumbly volcanic minerals. The length, structure, balance and acidity is extremely well put together. Really fine juice. Interesting note of experience. There were times I felt like I was tasting two different wines simultaneously...like left and right channels. Photos of their exterior entrance to the cellar, patio shot looking back at the winery and sloping vines on the back side of their estate. A big thank you Ron & Susan Krausz the proprietors for their time, knowledge and the walking tour.
May 8th, 2017
Woo hoo! Great wine, 6 hour decant, black as night in the glass. Thanks @Shawn R! My first obsidian & not my last
Woo hoo! Great wine, 6 hour decant, black as night in the glass. Thanks @Shawn R! My first obsidian & not my last
Jan 22nd, 2018
Even up against the other two Sam Kaplan powerhouse wines (Nine Suns and Memento Mori), the Obsidian was my personal favorite. Maybe because it is his home field (Howell Mountain) advantage, having been there making wine with Ron and Susan Krausz for over 10 years. This Bordeaux blend spends 22 months in French Oak and another year in the bottle. Deep and brooding, complex and yet approachable, dense and balanced,...all the things I look for in a wine (and myself 😬). Robert Parker gave it a 98. While many of us don't always credit RP's scores, and as such, I am also going to have to disagree with him. I'm going for one of my all time high scores of 9.9. Again, personally to me, this wine is everything that I look for in a big Napa Cab expression. Sam Kaplan is doing great things up there in the hills!
Even up against the other two Sam Kaplan powerhouse wines (Nine Suns and Memento Mori), the Obsidian was my personal favorite. Maybe because it is his home field (Howell Mountain) advantage, having been there making wine with Ron and Susan Krausz for over 10 years. This Bordeaux blend spends 22 months in French Oak and another year in the bottle. Deep and brooding, complex and yet approachable, dense and balanced,...all the things I look for in a wine (and myself 😬). Robert Parker gave it a 98. While many of us don't always credit RP's scores, and as such, I am also going to have to disagree with him. I'm going for one of my all time high scores of 9.9. Again, personally to me, this wine is everything that I look for in a big Napa Cab expression. Sam Kaplan is doing great things up there in the hills!
Apr 21st, 2017