Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

HBTM! 🥳 🎉🎂 🎈

Charles Hendricks one of the most underrated Winemakers in the Napa/Sonoma/Santa Lucia areas. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

It’s good to follow Winemakers. I follow Charles Hendricks. However, Charles last James Cole vintage was 2013.

100% Petit Verdot in anyone’s hands is tricky. This 09 made by Charles is elegant young...just as it is now. It’s just rounder & softer after 9 1/2 years in bottle. It still has teeth but, complex & floral with dark, grippy tarry, round tannins. The darkest of roasted & used expresso grounds, dry earth with dark & brilliant florals. Beautiful acidity and elegant persistent finish.

This offering has another 10-15 of good drinking ahead. Properly stored of course.

Photos of; James Cole Winery, outside tasting lounge, signature bronze logo statute and James’ classic car in their fermentation cellar. — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.6

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.6

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Charles Hendricks last vintage at Regusci and what a vintage 2013 was in Napa. If you’re are going to go out on a high note, 13 would be it. The most underrated Winemaker in Napa Valley.

Dark, ruby, lush, currents, raspberries, plum skin, strawberries, dark chocolate, lots of salted caramel notes, mid spice, tarriness, black licorice, soft dark earth with dry top soil, dry tobacco, used leather, vanillin, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, withering dark floral, lavender framed in violets, excellent acidity and great structure, tension, balance and perfectly polished for days. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I kid you not, Charles Hendricks is likely the most underrated & under known Winemaker in Napa Valley.

If you have not had his wines, you are missing out on great wines & relative real value for Napa. He makes his own private higher end label-Hendricks, Hope & Grace and midway through the 14 vintage for; James Cole, Regusci & T-Vine.

There are few Winemakers that can make wines that drink well young & some that will age two decades plus stored correctly.

This Santa Lucia Doctor’s Vineyard is really good but, his private label Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is off the charts. His 2008 Hendricks Pinot Noir is the highest rating I have ever given a Ca Pinot Noir, 98.

The 13 Doctor’s Vineyard is better than his 12 & is still a little early right now. It will improve over the next 5 years & hold there a couple of years before its gentle decline.

The nose reveals, ripe, well extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with shades of blueberries. Dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, touch of savory meats, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender.

The body is full, rich, lush and gorgeous. The structure, tension, length and balance are just hitting their good phase. It is simply a beautiful & complex Pinot Noir. Nicely extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with more blueberries than the nose. Dark spices that bring palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanilla, touch of savory meats, peppery notes, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender. The acidity is very good & excellent at containing the slightly higher ABV. The long, complex finish is, well balanced fruit & earth, polished and will persist until dawn.

Photos of; Their Doctor’s Vineyard, one of my favorite paintings that used to hang behind the bar in their tasting room & now hangs in Charles’ house (it reminds me of a Jackson Pollock), Winemaker-Charles Hendricks and the front of their tasting room in downtown Yountville.
— 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.6

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Charles Hendricks last vintage at Regusci. 2013 a phenomenal vintage and this is in top form. Showing amazing fruit with his Regusci spice.

Charles Hendricks may be the most under appreciated Winemaker in Napa Valley.

What a well balanced, structured, mix of fruit, soft earthiness, spice and bright florals. — 3 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Some friends of ours brought this to our backyard dinner last night. This is not a producer I buy. So, it was nice to revisit and nice of them to share.

The first thing I would say, is this is a well made Pinot Noir. Having said that, I don’t buy it due to its pricing. If you are buying this from the winery, its price point is still too high for it’s quality and gets worse yet when you go to the secondary markets which, many do, due to its limited production & wait on their list.

I say this because I have had countless examples of Sonoma & CA Pinot Noirs that are as good for $75 or around that price point give or take a little. The Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is a similar style and for me, is better than this Marcassin. The Hendricks is $75 on futures buying.

Our friends that brought it, whom we share a mutual friendship with another Sommelier. He told them they had to drink this as it was getting old. I can tell you that is simply not the case. This wine has another 7-10 years of fine drinking ahead. These statements happen when your consuming wine regiment is based on a steady stream of always drinking wines young...It just happens.

The wine shows beautiful mid & dark candied, floral fruits, heavy baking spices and too much cinnamon stick for me. Beautiful, dark, red, blue and purple florals. It is well balanced, lush, elegant, polished with nice round acidity.

A very nice wine just overpriced IMHO. You can do just as well for less and you would only lose out on the fact you are feeling good about opening a cult name Pinot for yourself or to impress others. Not a dig, just the wine psychology that experience has led me to through the devotion of studying wine and consumers feedback. Not all, but enough to call it what it is. I myself have fallen prey to those emotions & I’m sure will again.

Photo of, Marciassin Winery, Helen Turley-Co Owner, Ryan O'Donnell-Winemaker and a Sonoma vineyard they source fruit. — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.1

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Drew hendricks
Greg Kasanoff — 6 years ago