Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
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Winemaker Notes
2013 was a big tannin vintage across all Hourglass red wines, but deep well integrated color was achieved, capping the more reactive tannin. This leads to a well-knitted, classically structured core giving a glimpse into its significant aging potential, yet the color-capped tannins are "sweet" and texturally silky. Savory black fruits (currant, cassis) are layered outside the core to provide a soft flesh, which makes the ’13 approachable as a young wine.
A deep richness is evident, yet restrained against the tensional pull of a nervy natural acidity and the earthy minerality, providing both lift and a layered density. The extended finish allows for a long afterthought. This wine is wonderful now (they recommend several hours of decanting to unlock extra layers of aromatics and flavors) and will cellar beautifully for 20 or more years. It should gain more exotic nuances of cedar, tealeaf and cigar box as it approaches year seven from the vintage date. In all, one of the finest vintages of Hourglass produced.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 23-year-old vines) is a killer wine. Aged in a combination of Darnajou and Taransaud barrels, this wine displays notes of dark espresso, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, a dense, full-bodied mouthfeel, a fabulous texture and 50+ second length. This amazing example is one of the great Hourglass wines made to date and should drink well for 25 or more years.
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Wine Enthusiast
An extremely dark color sets an expectation of concentration, and this full-bodied but velvet-textured wine delivers it. In the aroma are cocoa and licorice and dark-skinned cherries, then the flavors resemble a rich blackberry cherry syrup without the sweetness. The wine tastes exceptionally rich but not heavy. Best from 2020 through 2030.
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Wine Spectator
Plush and expansive, with a chewy core of wild berry, raspberry and black cherry fanning out, offering splashes of cedar, tobacco, dried herb and savory, earthy flavors. Maintains focus on the persistent finish. Drink now through 2028.
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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.