2022 Hourglass Blueline Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 750ML

2022 Hourglass Blueline Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 750ML

The magic of Blueline Estate continues to wow us with the estates’ signature wine.  The 2022 walks the perfect balance of elegance, brightness, and power. A blend crafted from Cabernet (80%), Petite Verdot (10%), Malbec (7%) and Cabernet Franc (3%) showcases Tony’s blending skill. Aromatics of ground coffee, wet gravel, forest ferns and barrel toast cascade with nuanced precision, winding through dramatic red and dark fruit tones. Dark sour cherry, red plum, pomegranate and blackberry translate powerfully from nose to palate. Rich silky tannins are countered with a tensional energy of mouthwatering natural acidity and the trademark Blueline minerality.

There are just 30 barrels of the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueline Estate, a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It’s a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet elegant 2021 with ripe blue fruits, some violet, leather, and herbal nuances, fine tannins, and a vibrant, focused, classic style that’s going to age gracefully.

I am a huge fan of the wines of Hourglass.  Their Cabernet is one of the densest, richest Cabs that shows well young and can age out with finest Napa Cabs. Hourglass represents a cutting-edge, modern Napa Valley winemaking style, and their wines have a devout and excitable following.  I have been in some of the greatest cellars in the country, and Hourglass always sits right next to only the best.  If there was ever a wine to make room for, Hourglass is it.

I have their incredible 2022 Hourglass Blueline Estate Cabernet to offer.  Their wines have become hugely sought after. Just about all there wine is sold  directly from the Winery where there is a waiting list. A tiny amount comes out East and we are lucky to get some to offer. Two blue-line streams form the boundaries of Blueline Estate, giving it its name but, more importantly, giving the soils their unique character – gravelly remnants of ancient, upturned riverbeds with incredible drainage and minerality. Wine made from the vines here possess a hallmark yin/yang of vibrancy and richness.  Yields were low, berries were small, wines of great intensity and complexity that will be long lived, great for the cellar. The property dates back to 1976, eventually purchased in 1992 by Jeff Smith, son of the original owner Ned Smith.  In 1992, Jeff enlisted his family friend Bob Foley as winemaker for their new venture.  Bob is an absolute rock star, and his wines are some of Napa’s most sought after cult bottlings, including Robert Foley Vineyards, School House, Paloma, Pride Mountain, and Switchback Ridge, which neighbors Hourglass.  Again one of my favorite wines and I urge you to give it some time in the cellar if you can help it. Greatness in a bottle that when compared to others is extremely well priced.