Neil Valenzuela

9.0

Medium ruby color. Aromas of cherry, cranberry and hints of red licorice. Cherry and cola on the palate, with a black tea finish. Paired nicely with pulled pork sandwiches.

🏅91 Points - Wine Spectator — 10 months ago

Mark Aronica

9.0

Bright and citrusy. Would drink again. — 6 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

Kathleen Duffy

9.0

Delicious with smoke salmon — 7 years ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.2

V13. Very well balanced, very nice food wine. Soft violet and cedar nose. Nice round black cherry and currant fruit. Earthy finish. — 9 years ago

Tom Wood

8.9

Cedar, malt milo, raspberry, yoyo biscuit and fresh Blackcurrant have been the aromas showing tonight. I do know this wine can show beautiful leather, stalky notes and earthy aromas but it simply did not last long enough. Precise fruit, tannin targets the front palate but acid plays a backing role. Great wine. — 10 years ago

Ray Isle

Executive Wine Editor Food & Wine Magazine

9.3

Plenty of time left, but I don't think it qualifies as infanticide when the wine tastes so damn good now... — 11 years ago

Max Gottesfeld, FWS, CSW

9.3

Smelled like red apple skins, and smashed raspberries. Foggy color light and delicate if I lived in California I'd drink this all the time. It's just too pricey for me on the east coast. — 12 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2020 vintage. 100% Grenache. Ripe, spicy biggie in need of a decade's worth of time or a serious decant. 4.19.23. — 3 years ago

Ken Venezio

9.2

Virtuoso Syrah. Love the bright red berry fruits on the front end and the balance throughout. Nice silky tannins and a modest finish. A 30 minute decant made a world of difference. — 5 years ago

Erin Joyce

9.2

Waited a few years to drink the 2017 and it’s even better than I remembered. In times like these it’s important to savor the floral bouquet and stone fruit deliciousness of this wine and essentials like Clorox bleach. — 6 years ago

with Sandra

Alvaro Bustillos

9.0

Mfdz y tad — 7 years ago

Rick Baraff

9.1

That’s some nice drinkin’ stuff (circa 2017). Thanks to the local somm, Steve, at our Whole Foods for the recom... it was their last bottle and he sacrificed. — 7 years ago

David Barnes-Trujillo

9.2

Jeff 9 me 9.7 — 8 years ago

with Jeffrey

Cindi Leslie

8.9

Very nice, would buy again — 9 years ago

Michael O'Sullivan

9.0

Thank you Rhett- delicious early birthday bottle — 10 years ago

with Rhett and Lauren

Oscar Ortiz

9.5

Young but what a delicious mouthful, with rich layers of fruit but elegant and smooth — 11 years ago

Arian Ashworth

10

Matt keiser selection — 12 years ago

Paul Lopez

9.8

I do remember....what a wine! — 12 years ago

Enrico Pallazzo

9.4

Delicious but not quite as good as it used to be. Lots of cherry. — 4 years ago

Richard Mills

9.5

Really tasty and smooth. Monthly pick we had with mom and Cali. — 5 years ago

Colin Cahoon

9.4

A top notch vintage California sparkler. Fine bubbles, soft lees, nice minerality, with hints of citrus - the drinking experience builds to a sizzling acid finish. Take the two best grapes out of SLH and make a cremant style sparkler. Brilliant. — 6 years ago

with Claire and Susan

Ellen Clifford

8.9

Smells like great California Pinot. Tastes and feels like it. Carries me into the dark dark goth night of Pinot NOIR of vineyards named “Sleepy Hollow” which is great for the day I’m recommending it for (stay tuned). Rich enough ripe enough but the acid cuts through. I’d drink this. I do drink this. — 6 years ago

Kyle Bailey

9.5

Fruity with a slight dryness — 7 years ago

Eric W Brown

9.2

Lots of cherry. Drinking well — 7 years ago

Parijat Talkad

9.6

Smooth, full bodied wine. — 9 years ago

Sara Pitt

9.0

Great wine - Kim really likes it. — 10 years ago

Philip Cook

8.9

Black cherry, raspberry notes. Fair amount of acidity. Paired well with baked salmon. — 11 years ago

Jennifer DiDomizio

9.1

Always a fave! — 11 years ago

with Noah

Ryan Mullins

9.9

Soul wine! — 12 years ago