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2012 Hourglass Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker

Tony Biagi

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 22 months in new French oak

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Current Vintage Overview

As Tony Biagi’s debut vintage, 2012 brought an evolution to the depth, complexity and textural richness that Bob Foley achieved in our wines over the past 15 years. The growing year was ideal, similar to 2001, one of our favorite vintages. A long growing season, with many low to mid 80-degree days and cool evenings, allowed for slow phenolic maturation and great color development with good acidity. The balanced chemistry delivered wines with a wide range of fruit flavors across the red to black fruit spectrum, delicate floral aromas, and a layering of flavors marked against the brightness of acidity. We are extremely proud of Tony Biagi’s debut vintage from our marquee vineyard, one that may prove to be among our best vintages to date.

Tasting Profile

Our 2012 Hourglass Estate Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits balance and precision with a feline grace to match its power. Aromatically, hallmark camphor and mint are present, but more subtle than previous vintages. A high-toned rose petal scent at the bridge of the nose leads to a cascade of tangy red fruits that segues to bass notes of toasty wood smoke while a dark, earthy minerality of the iron rich Hambright soils underscores throughout. Well-knitted, classically structured tannins frame the center of the wine and provide a glimpse into its significant aging potential. Red fruit notes of pomegranate and dark sour cherry interweave with savory black fruit (black currant) to provide soft flesh around the focused core. Texturally, this wine maintains a beautiful balance between grip and silk; its deep richness is evident yet restrained by the tensional pull of a nervy natural acidity and earthy minerality that provide both lift and layered density. The extended finish allows for a long afterthought.

Cellaring Potential

Freshness and vibrancy reside within a classic core structure with refined, tightly integrated tannins. The precision of this vintage is what we find so striking, an exactitude that should translate to great cellar worthiness of 20+ years. As it is a tighter structural weave, reminiscent of the 1999 vintage (yet more expressive as a young wine), we recommend cellaring the ‘12 Hourglass Estate until 2018 or 2019 to achieve some of the more exotic, nuanced rose petal, cedar, and cigar box characteristics. For those too impatient to wait, you will not be disappointed by the younger more fruit drive components, but do decant when possible.

~ Jeff Smith, January 2016

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