2019 | Hourglass | Merlot Blueline Estate

The 2019 Blueline Estate Merlot opens with mandarin orange oil, dark sour cherry and black plum aromatics. Its hallmark savory notes of Asian five spice, bay leaf and cola nut add depth and layered complexity.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2019 Merlot Blueline Estate is a blend of 82% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it storms out of the glass with exuberant scents of baked blackberries, crushed blueberries and plum preserves, plus hints of mocha, lavender and star anise with a waft of truffles. Full-bodied, rich and seductive on the palate, it has a plush texture and seamless acidity, finishing on a lingering licorice note.

• James Suckling: The 2019 Blueline Merlot checks in as 82% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Aged 18 months in French oak, it's a ripe, sexy, beautifully textured Merlot revealing plenty of red and blue fruits as well as notes of tobacco and sappy flowers. It's ripe but also balanced, and it’s already drinking brilliantly.

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.

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