Dawn E.

9.1

Pale straw in color. Aromas of honey, grapefruit, lemon, orange marmalade, apple, and wet crushed rock! Taste pretty much follows. This Hourglass wine is always a treat! — 15 days ago

John Malcolm

9.6

Decadent and opulent! Plums, blueberries, and black cherries. Fabulous finish. — 8 months ago

Paul T HB

9.9

Mag,
2nd day is essential, opened yesterday & decanted 4 hours today. This is right there with the 2005.
Its been 4 years since my last 07, it still has plenty of life but why wait when you can decant🤷🏼‍♂️
The 29 Estate vineyard is situated on the east-facing hillside at the base of the Mayacamas range, a couple miles north of St. Helena and just above Highway 29. The soil here is clay loam with gravel deposits, deeper at the bottom of the slope and shallower and rockier toward the top (the Sauvignon Blanc is planted in the rockiest spot, followed by the Cabernet Franc and then Cabernet Sauvignon). The slope and soil content ensure good drainage, while the rocks and gravel allow the roots to penetrate deep, ensuring more stable vines and more consistent ripeness. Average yields here for Cabernet Sauvignon are a moderate 2.8 to 3.2 tons per acre, held down by the vine stress associated with steep vines.

Vineyard 29 is located in the narrow hourglass part of Napa Valley and benefits from consistently good air flow. Even in 2008, there was just a touch of frost at the bottom of the vineyard, according to McMinn, who noted that his Aida vineyard just two miles to the north is typically six or seven degrees warmer. The site also benefits from its eastern exposure, capturing early morning sunlight but with the mountain above protecting the vines against the most intense afternoon sun. The result is slow, consistent ripening of the grapes and healthy sugar levels with much less risk of desiccation, which in turn means rounder, more integrated tannins. Although St. Helena is a very warm region, day-night temperature variation at Vineyard 29 is among the widest in Napa Valley, according to McMinn.

Thanks to Vineyard 29’s well-aerated site and protection from the hottest afternoon sun, the estate Cabernet always has sound acidity; it has never been acidified, according to winemaker Emerson. The pH of the Vineyard 29 estate wine is typically between 3.75 and 3.9, and alcohol levels are moderate by Napa Valley standards, almost always in the high 14s (with 2009 the only vintage to have exceeded 15%). The wines are frequently characterized by black and blue fruits—cassis, blackberry, blueberry—and notes of chocolate, licorice and spices. Compared to the Grace Family Vineyards wine, made from a vineyard barely 200 yards to the north from the same plant material, the Vineyard 29 wine is characteristically a bit less floral and delicate but riper and denser, combining power with typically plush, ripe tannins. Emerson noted that Vineyard 29 is typically harvested at least a week later than the Grace site, noting that the tannins “take a long time to lose their chalky character and come around.” Luckily, he added, “the fruit here can hang for a long time without getting too crazy with sugar.” And the estate routinely picks in two passes, typically seven to ten days apart.

— 3 years ago

Stuart Dershaw

9.0

Ready but not as great as earlier vintages — 3 days ago

Nathan Renfro

9.5

I’ve just really enjoyed these bottles of the ‘06. Such great fruit, in prime or slightly last, but drinking so well. Smooth, silky tannins, lovely black and purple fruit. Great finish. — 6 months ago

Dawn E.

9.1

@ Delectable Wine this Rosè is not in the database, a new wine from Hourglass! Nice salinity, sea spray, kiwi fruit, nectarine, spearmint, long finish, — a year ago

Evelyn Frison

9.3

Incredible! — a month ago

Jane Nuss

9.3

Grapefruit, green apple, pear, lemon, and honeysuckle on the nose. Peach, honeydew melon, and hints of minerality on the palate. Refreshing, Crisp, and bright with full body and high acidity. 14% ABV. — 4 months ago

Rob Brobst III

9.8

Drinks so well. — a year ago

Shay A

9.2

Finally getting around to posting wines from my annual Napa trip from two weeks ago. Always goes by quick! Lots of fun new stops this year.

Theorem was one of our highlights last year, so we made sure a return visit was lined up this year. Base of Diamond Mtn with one of the most beautiful properties I’ve seen. Over the last 12 months, they’ve added a couple new wines (with more to come from Moon Mountain). TRB is the winemaker.

Fairly similar to the Hourglass SB in that its profile is rich yet tight and zippy. Heavy amounts of lemon tart, limestone, slate, sea salt and fresh cut grass. Lots of acidity here, but there is a component about it that adds a roundness right before the finish which keeps it from being totally sharp. — 4 years ago