Description
As Carolyn and Jeff drove down Valley to meet the renowned Olle Lundberg in his San Francisco office, they found themselves keenly aware of the Tuscan villas and faux French estates punctuating the stretches of roadside vineyards. As the two tossed around ideas for the winery they would build, they took note of what other vintners had done in the valley—much of it homages to past eras and foreign wine cultures.
They mused, “What does this ‘borrowed architecture’ say about Napa Valley’s sense of identity?” The couple and their new partners were determined to build a winery to celebrate modern Napa Valley, a design to embody their dedication to this place and their cutting-edge approach to winemaking.
It was Carolyn who found Olle, a San Francisco architect who describes his style as “nature-inspired modernism.” At their first meeting, Carolyn handed him a photo of a clean-lined, simple Swedish barn—for her, a textbook example of precise, unadulterated agrarian aesthetics. Olle put his thumb over the small window, the only adornment in the picture. “Now, it’s perfect,” he grinned. They had found their architect.
Olle parked his car near the entrance of the Blueline vineyard and walked slowly up the dirt road as if led by a divining rod. He was drawn to the northeastern corner of the property—a point where valley ended and mountain began. The architect walked past the rows of vines, past the small guest house and its welcoming lawn. He stopped at this place where the land rose up steeply and curved like a gently cupped hand. “The mountain is the hero and we need to celebrate it,” he explained.
The design process moved quickly thereafter. Olle presented Carolyn, Jeff and their partners, several iterations—structures built into the curvature of the hillside—but he knew they weren’t quite right. About six weeks into the process, Olle phoned Jeff first thing in the morning; “I’ve got it! It came to me in a dream last night. It’s just something I sketched on a napkin, but I’ll bring you the design in a couple days after I draft it out.” The unique design would ultimately follow Olle’s guiding principles of modernism informed by nature, as the winery was carved into the hillside with a great deal of its utility being a function of the mountain itself.
The aromatics are explosive high-tone rose petals and toasted espresso beans lead into both red and dark cherry notes. The tension of the vintage can be felt on the palate immediately a delicate balance of high natural acidity flowing into a rich dense mid palate of silky soft tannins. Red fruit notes of pomegranate and red cherry intertwine with dark sour cherry, soft french plum, and a blackcurrant core. Savory notes of black olive, saddle leather and cigar box frame the fruit tones providing a wonderful interwoven mouthfeel which continues to build into what seems like an everlasting finish.
98 points Vinous
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is another fabulous wine in this range from Hourglass. It possesses tremendous depth and gravitas. Dark fruit, graphite, spice, chocolate and new leather all build as this potent, extroverted wine shows off its personality. St. Helena’s Northern Corridor is famous for big, dramatic Cabernets. The Hourglass Cabernet is a terrific example. I loved the 2019 from barrel and am every bit as enthusiastic today. What a wine! (AG) “(1/2022)
96-98 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Composed of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate has a deep purple-black color. It confidently strides out of the glass with classic cassis, plum preserves and cedar chest notes with hints of violets, graphite, unsmoked cigars and incense. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, offering a firm foundation of ripe, grainy tannins and a lively backbone to support the finely nuanced layers, finishing very long and mineral laced. (LPB)” (7/2021)
97 points Jeb Dunnuck
“The 2019 Hourglass Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot) got a few “Wows” in the notes, and it’s a stunning example of 2019 Cabernet. Lots of cassis, spice, tobacco leaf, and a hint of eucalyptus give way to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, seamless Cabernet with polished tannins, good acidity, and a great finish. It reminds me of an old Heitz Martha’s Vineyard.” (12/2021)
95 points James Suckling
“Lots of juicy fruit in this, with dark berries and fresh herbs, as well as spices and cedar. It’s full and round-textured with a long, delicious finish.” (2/2022)
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