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2009 Hourglass Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker

Bob Foley

Vintners

Jeff and Carolyn Smith

Partners

The Chilton and Clark Families

Vineyard Designation

Hourglass Estate

Soil Series

Hambright and Fractured Bedrock

Appellation

St. Helena, Napa Valley

Varietals

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Barrel Program

Aged 19 months in a blend of new and seasoned French oak

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Current Vintage Overview

The 2009 harvest will be remembered as one of relative ease. As there were no real heat spikes, the Hourglass blocks came into maturity over a relative long season with harvest of the Hourglass estate starting October 30th. The even season produced showy, deep, fruit-forward characteristics combined with good varietal expression, favoring the darker side of the fruit spectrum. The result of the extended hang time and moderate conditions yielded balanced grape chemistry: physiological ripeness without excessive sugars. This is a strong vintage, in many ways similar to 2006, with long aging potential characterized by bright structural acidity and solid varietal expression.

Tasting Profile

Earth, spicy mint, black licorice, and cassis intermingle with toasted espresso to elicit a haunting aromatic. There are slightly more elevated notes of eucalyptus than the ‘07 or ‘08 vintages though subtle enough to serve as an intriguing accent of mint rather than a driving characteristic. Think thin mint cookie. Brooding and dark in aroma, the flavors come alive on the palate, woven together by good natural acidity. The acidity—a hallmark of Hourglass—provides structure and lift to the darker cassis and rich black fruit flavors by adding a layer of tangy red fruits, pomegranate and red cassis. Seamless integration from start to finish is a function of polished ripe tannin from the long even growing season, delivering a silky texture and lingering finish.

Cellaring Potential

Still a young wine, the 2008 vintage is more fruit forward, possessing dramatic black fruits and mint rather than the subtleties of the older vintages which develop layers of tobacco, saddle leather and more pronounced red fruit. The acid and structural weave are there, leading us to believe the ‘09 will follow a similar aging arc as previous vintages with more mature characteristics beginning to emerge around the seventh year after the vintage date. This wine has plenty of aging potential and should get more interesting over the next 10 to 15 years.

~ Jeff Smith, January 2016

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