Hendricks Wines
Gold Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California, USA
A good follow up to the 2008 Forts de Latour.
Great bottle that shows beauty of the 2012 Napa Valley vintage managed by the right hands.
Charles Hendricks is maybe one of the most under the radar producers in the Napa Valley and certainly shouldn’t.
This wine is $125 in futures. I can think of other Napa Cabernets that cost much more that are not nearly as good.
Charles does not make this bottling every year...only when he has the right quality of fruit.
His wines always drink well young and will improve with the right bottle evolution depending on varietal and vintage.
This 12 is a gorgeous, sexy wine immediately upon entry. Beautiful round, supple tannins. Perfectly ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, plum and blueberries. Black licorice, sweet tarriness, Asian & Indian spices, just the right amount of barrel selection/toast that bring out soft baking spices of; cinnamon, nutmeg, clove & vanillin, soft earthiness of; dry crushed rocks, loamy soils, limestone & volcanics. Suede leather, some fresh tobacco & shades of graphite with fresh; dark, red, blue & purple florals. The acidity is round and near perfect. The finish is; elegant, well knitted & balanced in fruit in earth, polished and excellent wire to wire settling onto mid dark spice on the long set.
Photos of; the Hope & Grace tasting room in downtown Yountville (Charles makes H&G as well), Charles doing the heavy lifting of winemaking and my favorite Pollock like painting that used to be behind their tasting bar and now hangs in Charles house.
A good follow up to the 2008 Forts de Latour.
Great bottle that shows beauty of the 2012 Napa Valley vintage managed by the right hands.
Charles Hendricks is maybe one of the most under the radar producers in the Napa Valley and certainly shouldn’t.
This wine is $125 in futures. I can think of other Napa Cabernets that cost much more that are not nearly as good.
Charles does not make this bottling every year...only when he has the right quality of fruit.
His wines always drink well young and will improve with the right bottle evolution depending on varietal and vintage.
This 12 is a gorgeous, sexy wine immediately upon entry. Beautiful round, supple tannins. Perfectly ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, plum and blueberries. Black licorice, sweet tarriness, Asian & Indian spices, just the right amount of barrel selection/toast that bring out soft baking spices of; cinnamon, nutmeg, clove & vanillin, soft earthiness of; dry crushed rocks, loamy soils, limestone & volcanics. Suede leather, some fresh tobacco & shades of graphite with fresh; dark, red, blue & purple florals. The acidity is round and near perfect. The finish is; elegant, well knitted & balanced in fruit in earth, polished and excellent wire to wire settling onto mid dark spice on the long set.
Photos of; the Hope & Grace tasting room in downtown Yountville (Charles makes H&G as well), Charles doing the heavy lifting of winemaking and my favorite Pollock like painting that used to be behind their tasting bar and now hangs in Charles house.
It's simply Cabernet gold. You'll be hard pressed to find a Napa Cabernet better than this one...bar none! Including cult cab's! Look up mouth harmony in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of this bottle. Chuck is so selective in his fruit for his Cabernets, he's only made four times in fifteen years.
It's simply Cabernet gold. You'll be hard pressed to find a Napa Cabernet better than this one...bar none! Including cult cab's! Look up mouth harmony in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of this bottle. Chuck is so selective in his fruit for his Cabernets, he's only made four times in fifteen years.
2 people found it helpfulAug 14th, 2016I would love to put this wine in a blind tasting of all the Cult Cabernets. I wouldn't be surprised if this beat them all. It certainly would finish in the top three. Yes, this includes; Screaming Eagle, Scarecrow, Harlan etc.. It's so full, round, lush, elegant & perfectly ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, blueberries, plum, dark cherries, dark raspberries. Baking spices done just right, sweet lush rich moist dark earth, dry florals, fresh violets, spice/box, powder from crushed rocks, cocoa powder, suede style leather, a hint of stems, dead on acidity and an elegant round finish that doesn't stop.
I would love to put this wine in a blind tasting of all the Cult Cabernets. I wouldn't be surprised if this beat them all. It certainly would finish in the top three. Yes, this includes; Screaming Eagle, Scarecrow, Harlan etc.. It's so full, round, lush, elegant & perfectly ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, blueberries, plum, dark cherries, dark raspberries. Baking spices done just right, sweet lush rich moist dark earth, dry florals, fresh violets, spice/box, powder from crushed rocks, cocoa powder, suede style leather, a hint of stems, dead on acidity and an elegant round finish that doesn't stop.
1 person found it helpfulNov 20th, 2016Really nice juice. Poured by a friend a few days ago. I'm sure @Martin G Rivard could score some!
Really nice juice. Poured by a friend a few days ago. I'm sure @Martin G Rivard could score some!
Jan 22nd, 2017