LabRat Report

Hawley 2004 Cab

As I was not around last night to taste, we will be day drinking! Lunch consists of brown rice pasta with spicy garlic marinara with artichoke hearts, criminis and wilted arugula.

Cork the bottle. Corking left a fair amount of sediment in the neck. Wipe away and pour....

My tasting companion likens the color to True Blood- , blue- red, super dark but not inky.

First sips brings lots of plummy blackberry with a hint of chocolate and a spicy finish. A bit hot for me from the get go- hoping the sharpness will ease with a little time. Pairs well with the red sauce, though I must admit the sauce turned out a lot spicier than intended. Wishing I had made steak tacos instead, as this wine almost begs for a meaty companion. Gonna wolf down lunch, let the bottle breathe and BRB with round 2.

The bottle has been open about an hour (and my mouth has recovered). Detecting raspberries now on the nose, still lots of spice. Mouthfeel is round and full, almost chewy. Earthy, almost herbal finish.

I think I am going to let this bottle open up a bit more and will post again in a coupe of hours...

texacaliali wrote:Hawley Family: I haven't been up to Dry Creek since verasion began, please share with us how the grapes are looking today?

We are just finishing verasion up on Bradford Mountain. It has been in the 90's the last couple of days and that's how we like it. Our grapes always ripen pretty early. We are usually picking our estate in August or early September. Looking about 3 weeks late this year due to late bud-break and cool spring. As on of the lightest crops this area has seen in a decade, everything should be pretty concentrated and flavorful.

Couldn't resist the RPM endorsement( and still hurting from Monday's missed Pinot).....

In for two!

But what about the Cab rat?

EDIT: Obviously by browser wasn't updating properly. Still debating...

Day 2 lab rat post:

There was one glass of wine left in the decanter last night ( I made sure there was, we would have gladly finished it last night otherwise). I poured it back into the bottle, vacuumed it, and put it in the fridge for the night.

After letting it warm to cellar temp in the sealed bottle, I opened and poured myself the final glass.

Nose: this is stunning today. The fruit character in the front jumps out with bright sweet plum backed by a touch of mint and some vanilla caramel on the finish.

Palate: my first sip was greeted with lucious ripe red fruits but every sip after that seemed a bit more muted. Today, merlot's typical lack of a mid-palate taste comes out, the gap is noticeable but not awful. More than making up for that is the change in the finish. The tannis are still certainly present but they form a wonderful base to the rest of the wine, balanced and soft. The tannins then give way to a LONG finish that has vanilla dancing little jigs across my tongue.

I have a set on it's way, you should too!

hawleywinery wrote:As one of the lightest crops this area has seen in a decade, everything should be pretty concentrated and flavorful.

Is this a prediction that the 2010 juice will be the best of the last decade?

Thanks!
Brian

bsevern wrote:Is this a prediction that the 2010 juice will be the best of the last decade?

Thanks!
Brian

Only if people pick early enough to avoid the fruit being overripe and making wines that are raisiny and high in alcohol.

gastrognome wrote:This offering is so tempting! But the price is going to keep me on the sidelines. If the discount was a bit deeper, I would have jumped in.

OK, OK! Uncle! I give up. You all talked me into it. I'm in for one.

I can't believe this isn't sold out yet.... Kudos to Paul and family for an awesome peek into their library!!

wow, glad I checked w00t on the plane tonight. In for 2 - these sound like great hidden gems!

rpm wrote:Excellent rattage from richardhod and klezman! Go to the head of the class, mon Elevés!

The wines certainly sound interesting, despite my known suspicion of California Merlot.

Indeed, and thank you. Though I'm sure you mistyped 'mes élèves' !
I was going to say that the merlot tastes like acwine tpm might enjoy. Wondering if it'll be reminiscent of a good extra fruity Pomerol I'm some years.

Nice. Got me some F'in Merlot !

Current numbers (updated each minute)First sucker: millSpeed to first woot: 0m 20.167sLast wooter to woot: PTommins

trifecta wrote:I can't believe this isn't sold out yet.... Kudos to Paul and family for an awesome peek into their library!!

Thanks to all you folks who tuned in! I bet we are pretty close to sold out. If anyone is desperate for more after tasting it, give us a shout and I'll let you know what's left. We also welcome anyone in town to drop by our tasting room; or if you are feeling adventurous, make an appointment to visit the winery. Thanks!
John, Paul and Austin Hawley

Stay in touch with us via facebook (www.facebook.com/hawleywinery). I will be producing videos of the harvest up at Hawley Winery. You can check out the ones from last harvest on our website: http://www.hawleywine.com/public_html/ez/index.php?/eng/Our-Place/Winemaking-Videos

Happy harvest!
Paul Hawley

rpm wrote:Excellent rattage from richardhod and klezman! Go to the head of the class, mon Elevés!

The wines certainly sound interesting, despite my known suspicion of California Merlot.

I guess I just don't get it. Great rattage reports, excellent winery participation, yet the wootalyzer still claims 80% stock. Was there that much in the cellar? Price/value just not there? The cursed Merlot?
What's up with that? Not even the autograph has rocked this one.

Given the seemingly slow sales, I guess that's why I'm still on the fence. I'm still trying to learn, and when sales rip, I assume it's something special and also tip the glass and poke the big yellow oval. I want to, why don't I now...?

Great video. Nice story. Not afraid of Merlots, especially after the rattage. In for one.

Z

rpm wrote:Only if people pick early enough to avoid the fruit being overripe and making wines that are raisiny and high in alcohol.

Talking to an infamous sonoma winemaker Of Unusual Size a few weeks ago it sounded like the biggest issue was the unusually cool weather in Sonoma due to the intense heat inland sucking cool foggy air in over the hills, leading them to be several weeks behind where they should be as far as ripening.

He also mentioned the late wet spring caused a large amount of shatter that reduced crop sizes and that even though crop sizes were unusually small due to the shatter they're so far behind he might have to drop some of the little resulting fruit just to get the grapes to ripen.

So it sounds like it may be a small-crop, less-ripe year, though things are warming up, so we'll see how it finishes off.

As for these, they look great numbers wise, and the reports sound like the kind of wine I enjoy. Always good to see wineries making restrained wines and holding on to them for a bit (voluntarily or otherwise :-).

In for one or two, we'll see.

andyduncan wrote:Talking to an infamous sonoma winemaker Of Unusual Size a few weeks ago it sounded like the biggest issue was the unusually cool weather in Sonoma due to the intense heat inland sucking cool foggy air in over the hills, leading them to be several weeks behind where they should be as far as ripening.

He also mentioned the late wet spring caused a large amount of shatter that reduced crop sizes and that even though crop sizes were unusually small due to the shatter they're so far behind he might have to drop some of the little resulting fruit just to get the grapes to ripen.

So it sounds like it may be a small-crop, less-ripe year, though things are warming up, so we'll see how it finishes off.

As for these, they look great numbers wise, and the reports sound like the kind of wine I enjoy. Always good to see wineries making restrained wines and holding on to them for a bit (voluntarily or otherwise :-).

In for one or two, we'll see.

That sounds just like what a Sonoma winemaker of unusually French skills said about 2010!

richardhod wrote:That sounds just like what a Sonoma winemaker of unusually French skills said about 2010!

Indeed, though he did say they were even further behind than last year.

Mine just got here today (suck it east coasters!) and I couldn't help but open a bottle of the merlot.

Definitely glad I went in for two. There's a good amount of oak on the merlot, but the wine is quite concentrated and altogether it seems quite nice. It's as-advertised a varietally-correct, powerful yet still elegant "table" wine. Still a good amount of tannins but it's got a nice fruit+bottle bouquet profile right now so while it will probably improve slightly, I don't think there's any harm in opening it over the next year or two.

I'm classing it up with a grilled cheese sandwich and I regret nothing.