AJ McClellan
Jeff Smith, the owner of Hourglass Vineyards, came in to taste us on his 2006 and 2007 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and to regale us with stories. In 1976 Jeff’s family bought a 6 acre plot in Saint Helena with no intention of turning it into a winery. Interestingly, Jeff’s dad, Ned, planted the property with Zinfandel, which happened to be his favorite grape and the only wine he liked to drink. Then in 1992, the vineyard was devastated by phylloxera, which wiped out all of the Zinfandel vines. After much deliberation Jeff decided to take over the reins as land owner and replant the vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon. He also paired up with a member of his rock band, winemaker Bob Foley, and the rest is history.
Jeffs first vintage was 1997 and was released in 2001. Only 149 cases were produced and it was the definition of an instant cult classic. Jeff has limited the production of his vineyard, deciding to focus consistently on quality rather than quantity, never producing more than 800 cases and trying to hit the sweet spot of 700 cases a vintage.
In true Graileys fashion we decided to welcome Jeff with a 1992 Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne and a 1987 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon. The Corton Charlemagne was nothing less than spectacular, with notes of burnt popcorn and pear wax on the nose. It opened up into huge green apple peel on the palate and finished with a light caramel and spicy vanilla over baked apple pie. The Forman was drinking very nicely with a nose of roasted cherries and spice box that washed over your senses as soon as the bottle was opened. The palate was a little more tame, with black raspberries, blueberries, and a hint of wet stone. The acidity kept up surprisingly well and the tannins were easy going, softened by the bottle age.
After the appetizer it was time for the main course – Hourglass.
What a lineup!
We started with the 2006 Hourglass Blueline Merlot (Out of Magnum). This was a very masculine wine with brooding cherry, cassis, plum, and black tea. The wine finished with a rocky minerality and a mushroom earthiness. This wine has a great aging potential and in another 5-10 years I could see it drinking fantastically.
Next we had the 2007 Hourglass Blueline Merlot. This wine was the exact opposite of the 2006 vintage – it is remarkable what a difference one year can make in a wine. This wine was all elegance with big blue fruit up front and an incredibly smooth finish of brown sugar and milk chocolate. I could drink this beauty all day long and never get tired of it.
Then we started getting into the heavy hitters – the 2007 Hourglass Blueline Cabernet Sauvignon was next. Classic Cali Cab with tobacco, black currant, espresso, sour cherry, and mocha radiating from the wine. Lovely tannins that were gripping but not harsh and a finish of dark chocolate that makes you say yumm…
We finished with the 2006 Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon. I must say this one was my favorite. The thing that differentiates this wine from most others is the velvety mouth feel; as soon as the wine touched my lips it coated my mouth with dark chocolate, mocha, black currant, black cherries, red roses, and violets. Talk about a long finish. I thought I would taste the wine for the rest of my life! The wine is drinking great right now but in another 5 – 10 years I think this is going to be a blockbuster.
After we went through all of the Hourglass it was time to bring some juice out of the back. Of course we had to start with a 1978 Chateau Montrose. Going from the big fruity wines of California to the subtle earthiness of Bordeaux is a shock, but everyone at the tasting handled it like a champ. The Montrose was ripe and ready to be picked, the fresh compost smell filled the room and let everyone know they were in Bordeaux, and then the secondary flavors of truffle, barnyard, and cherry cobbler took over with a slight wood spice and let everyone know they were dealing with a Super Second – one of the best of the Second Growths that in my opinion could easily be mistaken for a first growth in a blind tasting.
The Montrose was a tough act to follow but we managed. Next was a 1996 Amboise Clos Vougeot Grand Cru Burgundy. The Amboise surprised me with a boisterous voice of black liquorish, mushroom, bramble berry, and funk – It was almost the reincarnation of Montrose, but with a soft unmistakable Burgundian touch.
It was time to finish off the night. What could possibly be opened? Oh I know – Port! In fact 1977 Gould Campbell would do nicely. We have been drinking a lot of the 70’s Ports recently and the 77’s have all been great. Gould Campbell has consistently been my favorite Port producer since I tried the 1955 that blew my mind. This 77 Gould Campbell is no exception to the rule; it was soft and smooth with a deep mocha coffee nose and black liquorish on the palate. The wine finishes with burnt caramel and black currant that evaporates off the palate.