Sipping Fine Wine

9.6

Located halfway up the hill dominating principal valley of Barolo, lined by vineyards, lies a precious 15th century Abbey of Annunziata. Medium Ruby with complex aromas of berry fruits, oak and fresh floral scents. On the palate dried tart cherry, tobacco, licorice, espresso and fresh herbs give this full-body wine grace and elegance. Soft fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit and earthy notes, well balanced, has have room to run over the next decade. Very Nice! — 4 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.7

Initial impressions - Earthy, Herbal, Soy. Cherry complex and long. Much intestinal fortitude ie. guts. Thankfully not overly menthol/eucalyptus (just a trace) as you often get with all Wendouree Cuvées. Amazing the intensity provided by those old vines going back to the 1890’s. Could easily last another 5 to 10 years but pretty much at its peak right now. This is as good as Australian Shiraz gets - up there with Grange and Hill of Grace and recognised as such by Langtons. With time in the decanter, like all great wines, they develop and change. I was getting raspberry and mineral after a few hours. An exceptional wine and in the top 5 or so wines I have had this year. In good vintages I don’t think Wendouree Shiraz should be approached at under 20 years of age. — 3 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Charles strikes again.

I said weeks ago, I’d rather drink Charles Hendricks Pinot in futures @ $75 vs. the 09 Marcassin we had two weeks back @ $150+ winery or $225+ on the secondary market. This 14, while still young, proves that point and will only continue to get better.

It’s about as luxurious as Ca Pinot gets. Just supple, soft & elegant as body gets. Candied, floral fruits of ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, blue fruits, lean purple fruits, dry cranberries, strawberries, plums, delicate but darks spices, cinnamon stick, vanillin, nutmeg & touch clove, salted caramel, mocha powder, limestone & grey volcanics, dry crushed rocks hints of peppered grilled meats, fresh & dry tobacco, dry stems/twigs, sage dominated dry Provence herbs, splash of mint/eucalyptus, tree sap with bright candied, fresh & slightly withering florals of; dark, red, purple, blue set in a field of violets & some lavender. The acidity is perfect. The long finish is; extremely well balanced & polished, elegant, fresh, just the right amount of candied with a long, dark spice finish in the long set.

The 14 really started to excel after an hour plus in the decanter.

Photos of; the outside of the Hope & Grace tasting room in downtown Yountville where you will find Charles Hendricks wines. He makes Hope & Grace wines as well. One of my favorite paintings that used to sit behind their tasting bar but, is now in Charles house. It is very Pollock like! Winemaker/Co-owner Charles Hendricks and a vineyard in region of the Santa Lucia Highlands. — 5 years ago

Theo Shu

9.1

Like picking and eating blackberries on a dusty road. With overalls. Wait, no to the overalls. — 6 years ago

with Dominique

Michael Meyer

9.2

Tribute refers to the first Keenan Cab made 30 years prior. A very low production best barrel cuvée, informally known at the winery as Secret Wines since they don’t appear on any menus or price lists. This is Cali Cab pure and simple (ok, a smidge of Cab Franc too). Smoke, anise, currants, aromatic wood, huge tannins (still). Fantastic power and structure. Just approaching it’s best years. — 7 years ago

Brendan Devine

9.1

Yes, back on that 🇮🇹 game. Ripe cherries give way to leather, pepper, and a spicy finish. Yet another great wine from the country that gave us Alighieri, Raphael, and Pirlo. 👌 — 7 years ago

with Briana

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2021 vintage. No 2020 made for obvious reasons and only 90 cases of the 2019 vintage made so realistically not in the marketplace. 2018 (9.6) yielded a whopping 152 cases. 2021 was slightly more prolific but not exactly easy to run into. Same eternal, quiescent pace and style as the 2018. The rare Napa Cab effort inviting conversation versus attempts to dominate/control/stifle it. You can keep all your assorted vintages and producers of Beckstoffer This and Thats. I'll take this, any vintage, over any interpretations/producers of that, any time. And, frankly, once you taste it, you likely will too. @me with your impressions. 01.29.25. — 6 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.7

This is the current release of Hill of Grace, the 2019, priced at $975AUD and incredibly Sold Out according to the website. Matched with the 2008 as both were from hot years. Initially a sooty, minerally earthy note on the nose. Then came Satuma Plum, blackberry, spice and pepper. Stephen said only 25% to 30% of the normal volume for sale. (Hence the Sold Out). He let us in on a secret that there will be no 2020 released. I asked if the fruit is used in another Cuvée. The answer is No - the grapes are removed and thrown out. Seems a waste. He went on to explain that H of G has a different spice character to Edelstone - more of an Asian spice. Mostly used oak is used to lessen the oak influence. Elegant yet intense and without a doubt one of the world’s great wines. Will live for decades. — a year ago

James Carter

9.3

Showing tremendous grace for a ‘99. No sign of old legs. Good structure, decent tannins, great blend of whatever flavors you want to ascribe to the wine. Hugely enjoyable drink — 4 years ago

Sean Townley

10

Celebrating birth of DMH — 4 years ago

with Mairead

Shay A

9.4

Never thought I’d see the day I’d give a Napa malbec a score this high. Though age is a factor, this is the best Napa valley Malbec I’ve had. Everything in balance. I poured blind for a few people and Aussie Shiraz, Cabernet, and Napa Petit sirah were the guesses. On the nose, it shows ripe blackberries, currant, licorice (but not an overload like many Malbecs), dark chocolate shavings, mocha and some cedar. What separates this from other Malbecs is the complexity on the palate...not just a licorice and inky profile. Candied black cherries, ripe blackberries, baking spices, melted chocolate, and a hint of black pepper spice. Nothing flabby, dense or overly tannic about this. Smooth and in the zone. My thanks to @David T who opened my eyes to this wine (and producer)! And props to Mark who called H&G as a possible producer when he tasted this blind! — 6 years ago

with Mark and Dan

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

On the nose, ripe, ruby, fruits of; mulberry, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, black cherries, blueberries & creamy raspberries. Vanilla, hints of sweet tarriness, black licorice, whiff of spice, soft understated limestone minerals & crushed rock powder, fruity black tea, hint of fresh herbaceousness, rich, black turned earth, fresh dark floral bouquet and fields of lavender & violets.

The body is rich, ripe & full. The tannins are a little sticky but well softened, round and a touch chewy. The structure, tension, length, balance, tension and balance are very close to perfect and harmonious. Fruits are; mulberry, huckleberry, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum, black cherries & creamy raspberries. Vanilla, hints of sweet tarriness, black licorice, whiff of spice, soft understated limestone minerals & crushed rock powder, fruity black tea, hint of fresh herbaceousness, rich, black turned earth, fresh dark floral bouquet and fields of lavender & violets. The acidity is round and rains like a waterfall perfectly over the palate. The very long, ruby, rich, well balance lasts minutes and is absolutely heavenly. Gorgeous, elegant, stunning wine.

Photos of; the vertical tasting we attended of all Hendricks Cabernets; 04, 05, 09 & 12 at the time w/ one of our favorite paintings in the background, Charles Hendricks working in the cellar, very old rootstock from the Stag’s Leap Vineyard where the fruit to make this wine normally comes from and a wide shot of the Stag’s Leap Vineyard.

Producer notes and history...Hendricks Cabernet Sauvignon is consistently sourced from a few of Napa Valley’s finest vineyards. In those near perfect vintages, Charles only makes a small production wine of around 250-300 cases. Charles only produces it when he has exception fruit. He’s made Hendricks Cabernet in; 2004, 2005, 2009, 2012 & 2014. Notice he didn’t make Hendricks Cabernet in a great vintage year like 2013. He wasn’t happy enough with his fruit in 2013 to put his name on it. That says a lot and maybe all you need to know about his standard for quality. I do know what wine his 13 fruit made as I’ve had and it’s an unbelievable wine for far less money.

Charles also makes a fantastic Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands that is really quite amazing. Especially, if you give it 5 or 6 years in bottle. All his wines are sold exclusively through the Hope & Grace tasting room in Yountville as he is also the Hope & Grace Winemaker.

Charles graduated in 1982 from UC Davis in viticulture. He was also able to tailor his own curriculum and was one of the earliest to integrate winemaking and viticulture course work. Having knowledge of both viticulture and enology forms the basis for his well-rounded winemaking.

Over the years Charles has worked in both Napa and Sonoma Counties, gaining hands on experience in all aspects of winemaking. He has a strong reputation for excellence. In his career, he’s been a consulting winemaker for many wineries; Viader, Barnett Vineyards, Paoletti Vineyards, Regusci Winery, James Cole, T-Vine and Tamayo family Vineyard.

I asked Charles, “how does he make wines that are amazingly good in their youth but will age effortlessly for 15-20 years?” His answer was simply this, “its not that hard, you just have to know the perfect time to harvest fruit.” I would agree with that to a degree. But, you also have to know how to gently guide fruit onto it’s path into the barrel and not get in the wine’s way or overwork the process. — 7 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.5

Pretty great. I feel like it could use more time in bottle. A couple hours of air and it was cherries, dust, strawberries, white pepper, a hint of jalapeño, maybe red apple with baking spice. So lovely. — 8 months ago

Matthew Cohen

9.4

Nose: that brown note like the hofer. Lifting florals.

Palate: hint heat goes away. Medium cherry. Spice. Balancing bitterness.

14.2%

55% stem — 9 months ago

J

9.1

What a pleasant drinking wine. Easy go to for this Pinot. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Quilt pays tribute to Napa Valley’s wines, sourced from a patchwork of prime Napa Valley vineyards. Met Joseph Wagner a few times and tasted his wines, Joe signed a few bottles for me. Pale lemon color with aromas of fresh fruit, citrus and honey floral scents. On the palate flavors of apple, pear and lemon zest with toasty nutty notes. Lively acidity, well balanced on medium+ finish, great mouthfeel ending with creamy mineral tones. Very nice Joe! — 4 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.0

I really like this producer. This bottling definitely needs a bit more time. The components are there, but aren’t completely in harmony at this stage. The acidity is crisp & the oak treatment adds some textural complexity. I look forward to seeing where this goes over time. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.3

This was showing a lot of maple, almost syrupy, characteristics. Baked fig, clove, black cherry pie, and sandalwood dominate the nose. Very explosive aromatics. Toward the finish there was more herbal/earthy underbrush notes...even leaning towards dates and old plum. If you enjoy these with a lot of fruit, I’d pop now, but it’s certainly going to hold in this window for a while. — 6 years ago

with Dan

Pablo Cetlinski

9.5

Pretty heavy for a Sonoma wine. Loaded with dark berries and spices. Addition of Temporanillo and Petit Verdot add to the complexity of the wine — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Aromas of raspberry and hints of Thyme and Mint. Oak has fully blended into the fruit at 12 years and is totally balanced. The hallmark of this wine has always been its soft silky tannins; like its more famous elder sibling Hill of Grace for many more $. Medium bodied and in a great place right now in its development. Superb wine in a good vintage from a Vineyard planted in 1912 - dry grown ungrafted vines. Winery says can cellar to 2025. 9 weeks later picked the next one a little soon but I did. Notes as above. Cannot say more - just an excellent wine. Perfect with roast lamb. — 7 years ago