2009 | Hourglass | Blueline Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Aromas of cassis and blackberry, with baking spice, mint leaf, and mineral accents leap from the glass. With air, dark chocolate notes come forward, accentuating the ripe fruit and sweet earthy tones. On the palate, firm tannins frame a creamy, rich core. Toasty vanilla and savory spices flavors fold in, adding layers of complexity as the wine moves toward an impeccably polished finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Enthusiast: This is a big, tannic, midnight black Cabernet, rude in youth and barely drinkable. The tannins are powerful enough to lock down the palate. The grapes, grown in Calistoga, are very ripe in blackberries, currants and dark chocolate, but those tannins are stubbornly astringent. Almost old-fashioned in toughness despite very high alcohol, it’s a curiosity that seems likely to develop in the cellar, but with so little evidence of past vintages, all bets are off.

• Wine Advocate: The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueline shows good up-front intensity in its dark red fruit, but then loses most of its depth on the mid-palate and finish. Super-ripe, jammy black fruit, vanilla and oak dominate the wine’s aromatic and flavor profile.

Producer Information

Hourglass Wines is a small Californian winery in Napa Valley with a reputation for limited-production Cabernet Sauvignon. It was founded in the 1990s by Jeff Smith, who took over farming the vineyard that his father Ned had planted in the 1970s. Smith replanted the 5 acre (2 hectare) vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon in 1992. His family had been growing and selling Zinfandel from the vineyard to local producers since 1976, but the spread of phylloxera in California in the late 1980s and early 1990s was killing the vines. Cabernet Sauvignon replaced the Zinfandel and the vineyard was named Hourglass Vineyard after the topography of the valley, shaped by the surrounding Mayacamas Range. The inaugural vintage was in 1997. In 2006, Hourglass Wines expanded with the purchase of the 22 acre (9ha) Blueline Vineyard. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec joined the Cabernet Sauvignon plantings and the winery expanded its range to include Bordeaux-style blends along with its varietal wines. It has since added Sauvignon Blanc to the portfolio as well. All the wines are labeled under the Napa Valley viticultural area, though Hourglass Vineyard is in the St Helena AVA and Blueline is in Calistoga. The wine is sold through allocation via mailing list, and has a waiting list, much like many other small "cult" wineries in Napa Valley.

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