Amulet Estate Dancing Hares Red 2008
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Blend: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even better, and seriously underrated by me last year, is the 2008 Dancing Hares. A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, production is 525 cases of this exceptionally opulent, intense wine with an inky bluish purple color and a glorious noise of creosote, camphor, and blueberry pie intermixed with acacia flowers, forest floor and black currants. The compelling aromatics are easily backed up by a full-bodied wine buttressed by sweet tannin and fresh acids, giving it a laser-like precision. This is slightly better than the 2007, which is somewhat of an anomaly, and has great texture and suppleness. Drink this now or cellar it for 20+ years.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and powerful, yet graceful and detailed, exhibiting tiers of complex flavors built around rich blackberry, blueberry and wild berry flavors, with roasted herb, tar and smoke touches. Full-bodied and supple in texture, ending with a long, pure, persistent finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2012 through 2023.
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich, vital and dramatically layered, offering tiers of ripe cherry and blackberry flavors. The oak is sweetly toasted and fine. Based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this is framed with firm mountain tannins that make it ageworthy. The first bottle tasted was off. Drink now—with a long decanting—through 2020. Cellar Selection.
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The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which means "an object that provides good fortune" or a good luck charm.
More than a talisman, the true mark of the Amulet Estate portfolio is a nod to the pioneering spirit of early Napa Valley viticulture and a deep respect for the land. Their portfolio extends far beyond the estate and into many other distinctive and historic vineyards. Blessed with close proximity to America’s most celebrated vintners and growers, they strive to embrace the values inherent in their community. Since acquiring the estate and vineyards in 2016, it has been their goal to create world class wines that reflect the profound expressions of The Napa Valley; and build a boutique winery "a gathering place" that reflects both their family values and the best of Napa Valley.
Their approach to winemaking and hospitality encourage continued growth and graceful evolution.
Their attention to detail in the vineyard coupled with a gentle winemaking philosophy allow them to produce wines with elevated purity that reflect the place the grapes were grown. They invite their guests to enter the gates and immerse themselves in what they do everyday and taste the fruits of their labor. Keeping their minds and eyes on what’s to come, appreciating the past as a compass to guide them forward, their vision for Amulet Estate and their portfolio is an outcome of merging classic and familiarity in progressive movement.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.