David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

The final bottle to wrap up the night and the perfect progression to follow up the Cabernet. It’s really hard for me to say which bottle was better, the Regusci Angelo Vineyard or this Malbec from Winemaker Charles Hendricks? However, I would say this is the most, beautiful, elegant and polished Malbec I’ve had. It’s peaking but, still has a lot of life left in it. I can’t believe someone was willing to sell this bottle on Wine.com for $50. It was like committing robbery winning this auction.

The mouthfeel spectacular and gorgeous. Dark creamy currants, touch of pepper, sweet dark tarry round tannins, black licorice, mocha chocolate, well layered baking spices, subtle, savory meats, rich dark earth, soft leather, touch of tobacco, fragrant purple flower with beautiful lavender notes. The acidity perfect as was the long, elegant, well balanced, rich polished finish. — 5 years ago

with James and Christina

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. — 6 years ago

Heather Perry

9.0

Easy sippin afternoon chard — 8 years ago

Kim Stanbro

9.1

New fancy regusci. — 8 years ago

Jessica Steinberg

9.7

Bought in napa in April 2014. Drank in Amelia island in May 2014 over Memorial Day weekend. — 10 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.4

Exciting to try this new(ish) project from TRB. He is making a Napa and an SV under this label and it’s a real winner. Among the best cabs we tasted all day and even better when the bottle was finished with a steak at dinner. — 6 years ago

Martin Sher

9.5

Fantastic effort, classic cab here done with elegance and even restraint. Made with grapes from the Regusci property if I’m not mistaken. — 6 years ago

Kim Crompton

9.3

SF w Bri + Amie — 6 years ago

David Schiraldi

9.1

Good. Not as good as the patriarch — 7 years ago

Kim Stanbro

8.9

Lemon rind on the nose, watered down basil lemonade on the tongue. Vanilla sky on this 98 degree evening. Probably more like beer weather. — 7 years ago

with Dave

Lindsay Biggar

9.7

Unbelievable wine right now. Silky smooth to the finish and still jammy in flavor after all this time in the bottle 🙏🏻 — 7 years ago

Jusden Aumand

9.1

Not my preference in Chard, but executed incredibly well for its style. Very rich with American oak pretty evident, yet stays balanced. — 8 years ago

web bond

9.2

Dirt Floor Cellars Clary Ranch Sonoma Coast Syrah 2004 1.5L
-Richard Haake, Tony Poer, & Web Bond
-75-80% Clary Ranch Syrah roughly 22.5 brix
-20-25% Cabernet Sauvignon - roughly 28 brix - from Dr. Gold's vineyard, farmed by Regusci Vineyards, East of Highway 29 directly across the road from Brassica(formerly Go Fish and Pinot Blanc)
-Ambient yeast fermentation, some stem inclusion, 3+ year used French oak — 10 years ago

Mono Head

9.2

2003 Mondavi. Very smooth. Well integrated.
9.2. Much smoother and better integrated than the regusci 75th. That one Is more potent. — 6 years ago

Mono Head

9.0

2007 regusci seventh fifth anniversary
A little bit of sourness at the end; dark berries, thick mouth feel. Though not amazing . 9.0 — 6 years ago

Frank Chudy

9.2

Frank had 3/17/18. Very good and rich — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

I like this producer and the Patriarch. However, as smooth, elegant and beautiful this 11 is tonight, It's short on body, a little concentration and a fair amount of structure from what this producer does in good years. It more the 2011 vintage (bad spring fruit set, cool summer temps and October rains for those producers that waited to pick) than the winemaker. On the nose; ripe plums, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, strawberry liqueur notes, lots of baking spices, violets, volcanic minerals and dark & milk chocolate. The body is M with M-M+ tannins. Plums, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, boysenberries, strawberry liqueur notes, lots of baking spices, violets, volcanic minerals and dark & milk chocolate, mocha, light caramel, crushed dry rock powder, suede style leather, light spice, nice acidity and a good ripe fruit driven finish that simply lacks the structure & some concentration that you normally get from this producer & vineyard. 2011 is definitely not a long-term cellar. 8-15 years in most cases...a little longer with the very high-end producers. — 7 years ago

Martin Sher

9.0

Needs time I think — 7 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.5

Like this one more than 13. This has more merlot and it is definitely beneficial. Tasted blind I'd probably guess this is from Rutherford. Reminds me of regusci and stags leap. — 7 years ago

Christopher McCurdy

9.8

The wine of the night! Head to head with five other high end 2005 Cabernet Sauvignons! Absolutely beautiful expression of CS. Went with everything we ate and was the clear winner in a blind tasting with Chateau Montelena, Robert Mondavi Oakville (finished second), Regusci Angelo's Vineyard, Beringer Private Reserve, and Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste. Not too often that a group can taste this many wines blind and choose a clear winner! Way to go David Ramey, again!! — 8 years ago