Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
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Classically structured tannins frame the core of the wine, providing a glimpse into its significant aging potential. Texturally, the wine maintains a fine balance between grip and silk, with enough width and depth to remind you of its Napa origins, and enough elegance to evoke the refinement of the Old World. Notes of pomegranate, dark sour cherry, savory black currant and cassis surround the core with firm, soft flesh. A deep richness is evident, restrained against the pull of a natural acidity and minerality, providing both lift and layered density. The extended finish begs for contemplation. This wine will cellar beautifully for 20-plus years, promising still more exotic nuances as it approaches 2020.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The most expensive offering, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is fashioned from the estate’s 22-year-old, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and is aged in 90% new French oak. It exhibits a dense purple color, sweet blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with notions of licorice, camphor and toast. Full-bodied, dense, opulent and fleshy, it should drink well for 12-15 years. There is no reason to defer your gratification. Rating: 95+
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Wine Enthusiast
A deep color and aromas of toasted baguette, wood smoke and black cherry signal a classic style. The flavors are like dark-chocolate-covered cherries and cranberries. The toasted character of new oak barrels persists from the aroma to the finish, but it’s well complemented by ripe fruit, an impressively tannic texture and lingering finish. Cellar Selection
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Wine Spectator
Puts the core fruitiness front and center, with a distinctive mix of wild berry, boysenberry and raspberry that gushes opulently, shaded by creamy, toasty, mocha-laced fruit. Ends with a cascade of flavor. Drink now through 2026.
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Hourglass wines represent a cutting-edge, modern Napa Valley winemaking style. Ned Smith bought the property in 1976 and his goal quickly shifted from fruit trees to his favorite wine, Zinfandel, with the lofty hope of supplying grapes to local wineries in exchange for finished wine. The land was eventually taken over by son Jeff Smith. In 1992, Jeff enlisted his family friend - and former rock band cohort - Bob Foley as winemaker for their new venture. Like so many aspiring guitarists, Bob had kept his day job over the years, making wine and garnering countless accolades and rock-star status for such labels as Robert Foley Vineyards, Switchback Ridge, Pride Mountain, School House and Paloma. Bob continues to make all the Hourglass wines and has the deep purple-stained hands to prove it. The calluses, however, are as much from guitar playing as his meticulous cellar work. Then, Hourglass's inaugural release came with the 1997 vintage, a seminal Napa vintage by many critics' standards.
With the christening of the winery at Blueline and its distinct single-varietal wines, Hourglass has entered an exciting new phase of its evolution. A brand synonymous with terroir-driven, modern Napa wines of the highest caliber, its goal is and will always remain the same: To capture the essence of two of Napa Valley's most expressive vineyard sites in bottled form, and to have the honor of sharing them with you and your families for decades to come.