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.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.