Hawk and Horse Vineyards Wine Reviews

Sample Text

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

93 POINTS Cellar Selection

Serious and full bodied, this complex wine is made from organic grapes. It wafts aromas of mint, toasted oak and baking spices and delivers layers of black and red fruits, cedar and vanilla on the palate. It has moderate tannins and a mouth-filling texture. Best after 2023.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, September 2019

https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/hawk-and-horse-vineyards-2014-cabernet-sauvignon-red-hills/

2014 Petite Sirah

92 POINTS Cellar Selection

This full-bodied and impressive wine matches the intense tannins of the variety with equally intense fruit flavors for good balance on a very big frame. Bright blueberry and blackberry aromas lead to effusive black-fruit and dried fruit flavors, accented by dark chocolate. Best 2023–2030.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, September 2019

https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/hawk-and-horse-vineyards-2014-petite-sirah-red-hills/

Sunset Magazine Best Wines of 2019, November 2019

Latigo Dessert Wine – Double Gold; Best of Class

Cabernet Sauvignon – Gold

Petite Sirah – Silver

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

96 points, Platinum, Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

93 points

A big shouldered, teeth-gripper that shows itself in an impressively juicy and sensuously spiced format. Dynamic, energetic and still youthful, it prances out with black fruit, baker’s chocolate, and fennel root. A deep line of graphite seals the deal with vivacious acidity.

Tasting Panel Magazine, April 2019

https://www.tastingpanelmag.com/hawk-and-horse-vineyards-2014-cabernet-sauvignon-red-hills-ava-lake-county/

Ken’s Wine Guide – https://www.kenswineguide.com/wine_review/Hawk-and-Horse-Vineyards-2014-Petit-Verdot
May 9, 2019

2014 Hawk and Horse Vineyards Petit Verdot

Winery: Hawk and Horse Vineyards

Vintage: 2014

Wine Name/Vineyard:

Wine Category: Petit Verdot

Grape blend: 100% Petit Verdot

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Red Hills

State or country: CA

Price: $65

Cases produced: 142

KWG Score: 91 (based on 1 review)

Ken’s Wine Rating: Very Good+ (91)

Review date: May 9, 2019

Wine Review: This midnight purple colored Petit Verdot from Hawk and Horse is a big boy! It opens with a fragrant and attractive blueberry and boysenberry bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, smooth, soft and has a drying presence from its tannins. The flavor profile is an enjoyable combination of blueberry, blackberry, minerality and stewed plums. I also detected some hints of oak and black licorice. The finish is dry and its rather dusty tannins stick around for a very long time. This Petit Verdot will benefit from aeration. Then I would pair it with a well-marbled cowboy cut steak. Enjoy – Ken

Winemaker Notes: This vintage seems to have been custom‐made for crafting Petit Verdot of perfection. The mild spring and hot summer followed by extended hang time brought subtlety and balance to this elegant wine. Nearly oxblood in color, aromas of ripe blackberry and nutmeg give way to nuanced flavor profile. Notes of deep, dark chocolate, raspberry and spice give way to rich, velvety tannins. Pair with grilled steak with peppercorn sauce or chocolate souffle. (Made with Organic grapes)

Organic status: not organic

Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes – Eight Cool and Unique Wines to Try Now

Apr 24, 2019

https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiebell/2019/04/24/eight-cool-and-unique-wines-to-try-now/

There has never been a better time to be a wine lover than now. Indeed, every year is better than the year before for wine lovers largely because restaurants, retail stores, and wine clubs have together created amazing access to wines from across the globe. If you are in the market for something new to try in 2019, below you’ll find wines that merit a second look–from the vineyards of Colorado to entirely female winemaking operations. All are available online, some are sold in retail stores.

Hawk and Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014: This silky red wine from Lake County’s Red Hills AVA shows an Old World style of winemaking with restraint on alcohol and fruit. It is heady with black cherry, cassis, and notes of the forest after a rain. You’ll also get a whiff of baking spice and licorice—which just adds to the wines mouth-watering flavor profile. Why Try? The winery is an entirely biodynamic operation. Most importantly, winemaker Richard Peterson shows us the exquisite quality wines that the under-the-radar Red Hills can produce.

February 17, 2019 – https://jamesthewineguy.wordpress.com/2019/02/27/february-2019-wine-reviews-james-melendez/

There has never been a better time to be a wine lover than now. Indeed, every year is better than the year before for wine lovers largely because restaurants, retail stores, and wine clubs have together created amazing access to wines from across the globe. If you are in the market for something new to try in 2019, below you’ll find a wine that merits a look.

Hawk and Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014

This silky red wine from Lake County’s Red Hills AVA shows an Old World style of winemaking with restraint on alcohol and fruit. It is heady with black cherry, cassis, and notes of the forest after a rain. You’ll also get a whiff of baking spice and licorice—which just adds to the wines mouth-watering flavor profile. Why Try? The winery is an entirely biodynamic operation. Most importantly, winemaker Richard Peterson shows us the exquisite quality wines that the under-the-radar Red Hills can produce. Watch the video below to learn more on his review.
February 17, 2019, James Melendez, 2014 Cabernet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYV_UR8pU3I

CRN Podcast – What’s Cooking on Wine
April 15th, 2019

Hawk & Horse Vineyards 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills AVA, Lake County, CA
93 points: A big shouldered, teeth-gripper that shows itself in an impressively juicy and sensuously spiced format. Dynamic, energetic and still youthful, it prances out with black fruit, baker’s chocolate, and fennel root. A deep line of graphite seals the deal with vivacious acidity.

To listen to the podcast, visit what’s cooking on wine HERE

POWERING THROUGH THE DAY DRINKING COFFEE UNTIL IT’S ACCEPTABLE TO DRINK WINE.
Hawk and Horse Vineyards PUBLISHED APRIL 16, 2019
https://strongcoffeetoredwine.com/hawk-and-horse-vineyards/

Vineyards and wineries come in all shapes and sizes. Some wineries make a wide variety of wines, and some make just a few. Hawk & Horse Vineyards is one that makes a few and specializes in estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. I recently received a sample of two of their wines from Lake County, Red Hills AVA and I wanted to share their story and their wines with you.

Where is Lake County and Red Hills AVA?
Lake County is the next county north of Napa County.
Where is Hawk and Horse within the Red Hills AVA? It’s at the southern edge.

Map Courtesy of Lake County Winery Association

Ok, now you have a sense of place. Le’s get into the story of Hawk & Horse Vineyards.

Hawk and Horse Vineyards – Background
The Boies and Hawkins families own and operate this vineyard and ranch on a historic property in the Red Hills AVA of Lake County. It was founded in 1999 with the first release a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. With 18 acres planted, Hawk & Horse Vineyards has been Demeter-Biodynamic certified since 2008 and California Certified Organic (CCOF) since 2004.

Side Note: Biodynamics is a holistic, ecological, and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food, and nutrition. Biodynamic and organic are very similar; both are grown without chemicals and GMOs. However, biodynamic goes one step further. It is a holistic practice where all things are considered living interrelated systems – animals, plants and the solar system. Biodynamic practices create healthier plants and heal the earth by replenishing the soil and adding vitality to the plant, land and/or livestock.

Demeter-Biodynamic Certified means that the farm has been evaluated by Demeter USA; the only certifier for Biodynamic farms and products in America. Of the 18 acres, 15 are Cabernet Sauvignon, with one acre each of Petit Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. As for the name, it is a nod to the Red Tail Hawks that flourish on the property, the equestrian history of the ranch and the love of their own horses which are an integral part of the daily life on the ranch. Let’s talk about the Hawk and Horse Vineyards wines.

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Red Hills AVA, Lake County, California

When I received this wine, I laid it down to rest after the journey from California for about three weeks. Perhaps that was overkill, but I chose to be safe rather than sorry. It was just last week that I chose to open this wine and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. As I drank this wine over the course of a couple of hours the transformation of the structure, aromas and flavors were extraordinary. This beautiful dark purple Cabernet continued to develop in my glass from pleasing to exquisite.

You could smell the aromas as soon as the bottle was opened as it filled my kitchen. It was glorious. The nose was full of powerful and intense black fruits like fig and prune. As I moved the bowl around, I captured notes of ripe cherry. The first sip was smooth and youthfully fruitful with negligible tannins. But as I worked my way through the bottle while sharing it with friends the true expression of this wine began to transform and take hold.

The nose took on aromas of pipe tobacco and leather. The structure and mouthfeel matured and the velvety tannins began to express themselves. The palate that started with prominent cherry notes also transformed into a vibrant mixture of spices and dark chocolate covered cherries. This wine played with me, and I loved every minute of it.

One of my notes after drinking it was that I should have decanted it for at least an hour to allow the wine to fully express itself. But drinking it through the transformation was quite fun. As such the decision to decant or not should be made depending on what one wants from this wine. I can still smell the pipe tobacco which makes me smile.

The Details
98% Cabernet Sauvignon 2% Petit Verdot
14.1% Alcohol By Volume
23 months in French oak (90% new and 10% two years old)
1500 cases

2013 Latigo

We used to drink port all winter long when we lived in Chicago. For some reason, I have always considered it a winter beverage. So when this bottle arrived, I could hardly wait to give it a try as it has been so long.

This wine is produced in traditional Late Bottle Vintage Port style. What this means is that the wine doesn’t go through a complete fermentation. Instead, the fermentation is stopped when the ideal sugar level is reached. The addition of brandy stops the fermentation by creating an environment where the wine yeasts can’t survive. Winemakers add the brandy evenly into the wine so the yeasts calmly die off.

This now fortified wine is aged for 29 months in new French oak barrels before bottling.
The wine is a deep and saturated blackish purple with dark ruby edges. The nose is delicately scented with cherry, chocolate, and pipe tobacco. I am loving this wine.
The palate is graced dark chocolate, a bit of smoke, and dark yet tart cherries. I love, love, love the mouth-watering acidity present in this wine which is something that I was not expecting. I love the mouthfeel as it is velvety and rich but not excessively so. It is sweet but not too sweet.
Then I brought out some 65% dark chocolate squares to share and enjoy with the wine. We all fell quiet. We nibbled and sipped. This was a great way to end the evening.

The Details
100% Cabernet Sauvignon fortified with Alembic high proof oak-aged brandy
Residual Sugar: 13%
17.9% Alcohol By Volume
29 months in new Marchive French oak barrels from Allier Forest in France
270 cases

That is all for now.
Cheers,
Rick

2014 Hawk and Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Sourced from the Lake County AVA, this deep colored wine opens with a bouquet of mocha, crushed mint and dill with blackberry cobbler undertones. This offers medium-bodied dark fruits flavors with a touch of chocolate and bright acidity towards the back end.

Drink 2019-2024- 89
http://www.washingtonwineblog.com/new-reviews#/california

Gems in My Glass . . . February 2019

In 1999, Mitch and Tracey Hawkins, David Boies, Christopher Boies and the Boies family founded Hawk and Horse Winery in the Red Hills AVA of Lake County, California. The vineyards, winery and ranch remain family owned today. They have 18 acres of vines planted here, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. They secured Demeter Biodynamic Certification in 2008, and California Organic Certification in 2004. Famed winemaker Dick Peterson is their consulting winemaker. If you have not had the opportunity to taste Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards planted in the rocky, volcanic soils of this noteworthy AVA, here are two stunning examples; one a classic Cabernet Sauvignon, and the other a remarkable port-style fortified Cab Sauvignon.

Hawk and Horse Vineyards 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon; Red Hills, Lake County, California: Hints of earth and forest berries on the nose are a perfect entry to this complex and refined Cab Sauv. The elegant entry shows off earthy notes and sun-ripened blackberries, and the wine continues broadening as it traverses the palate. Cassis, purple plums, blackberry preserves, hints of leather, cocoa and savory spice are framed by chalky tannins and precise balance. Finishes with depth and length; delicious now and promises many years ahead. SRP: $70 www.hawkandhorsevineyards.com

Hawk and Horse Vineyards 2013 Latigo Fortified Cabernet Sauvignon; Red Hills, Lake County, California: Here’s a sophisticated, deeply flavored port-style fortified dessert wine. In fact, it’s a dessert all on its own! Layers of black raspberry, boysenberry, cassis liqueur, mocha, brown sugar-roasted pecans, dark chocolate covered toffee, and a touch of candied orange peel unfold harmoniously. Luscious and brilliantly balanced, with a finish that goes on forever. SRP: $50 (375ml) www.hawkandhorsevineyards.com

http://www.ellenonwine.com

California New Releases – Mar 16, 2019

Welcome back for another roundup of new releases from California!
I’ve been getting a lot of new wines from California, and this report includes a couple from Lake County’s Hawk & Horse Vineyards.

2014 Hawk and Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon- California, North Coast, Red Hills Lake County
Gorgeous aromatics, like waves of blackberries, red and black currants, along with violets, black pepper, red pepper flakes, complex earthy and coffee notes. Full-bodied, this Cab sports velvety tannins and bright acidity, and it’s balanced very nicely. Tart black cherries, juicy dark plums and blackberries, this wine is laced with complex notes of pencil shavings, pepper, leather, scorched earth. Accented well with dark chocolate and espresso notes. I’d love to see what this does in five years. Impressive Lake County Cabernet. Aged 23 months in 90% new French oak. (90 points IJB)

2013 Hawk and Horse Vineyards Latigo – California, North Coast, Lake County
Aromas of warm berry compote, along with pepper, earth, charcoal, lavender and clove. The palate is balanced nicely with velvety tannins, bright acidity, balanced sweetness. Juicy black cherries, roasted figs and dates, mixed well with elements of clove, anise, violets, sweet caramel. There’s also this lingering minerality, too. What a beautiful fortified dessert wine, this really surprised me. All Cabernet (from estate vineyards planted at about 2,200 feet), aged 29 months in new French oak, fortified with oak-aged brandy. 17.9% alcohol, 13% residual sugar. (91 points IJB)

http://www.terroirist.com/2019/03/wine-reviews-california-new-releases-8/

2014 Hawk and Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon – March 2019

This week, my ongoing series of discovery of some of the great wines of California brought us wines from both wineries new to the series and those that have been featured many times before.

Today, we’ll return to Lake County for the first wine from a winery brand new to this series:
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon bottled by Hawk and Horse Vineyards (St. Helena, California).
This wine is mostly cabernet sauvignon (98%) blended with a small amount of petit verdot (2%). The fruit was grown on the winery’s estate mountain vineyard in the Red Hills Lake County AVA. Following fermentation, the wine was aged for 23 months in French oak barrels (90% new). It comes in at 14.1% ABV.

The wine showed a dark ruby color with garnet hues. Blackberry, cassis, raspberry, dark chocolate, vanilla and oak all arrived on the deep and alluring nose. Blackberry, cherry cola, raspberry, eucalyptus, vanilla, plum and oak followed on a palate where the dominant theme was dark berry fruit. The wine exhibited good structure and length, along with moderate tannins. This wine would pair well with a hearty lamb stew or a classic pot roast.

http://nittanyepicurean.blogspot.com/2019/03/2014-hawk-and-horse-vineyards-cabernet.html?q=hawk+and+horse

Incredible Cabernet Sauvignon from Hawk and Horse Vineyards

Hawk and Horse Vineyard was founded in 1999 by the Hawkins and Boies Family in Lake County California, just slightly north of Napa Valley. This family operated vineyard and ranch is certified organic and biodynamic and is a hand farmed winery. Hawk and Horse produce an esteemed estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon and a Port style dessert wine also made from Cabernet Sauvignon.

Terroir
Hawk and Horse Vineyards are located in the Red Hill AVA of Lake County. Their soil and climate is perfectly suited for producing high quality Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals. Their biodynamic wine making practices allow for them to produce wines that are the purest expression of their terroir. The vines are grown at 1800 to 2200 feet and vineyards are red rocky volcanic soils. The vines are fed with natural springs and due to the high elevations, the air is pure, thus allowing for more UV light. This gives you thicker grape skins, greater tannins and more intense wines.

The Vineyard

The vineyard is home to the historic and famed El Roble Grande Ranch. The name Hawk and Horse comes from the horse farm on the ranch, as well as the many Red-Tailed Hawks on the farms that protect the land from rodents. The ranch is also home to a small herd of Scottish Highland cattle, three American Saddlebred horses, five American Quarterhorses and wildlife including bees, hawks, owls, bear, wild boar, bobcats, mountain lions and squirrels. The guesthouse is a three-story hand-built traditional log home. A visit to Hawk and Horse Vineyards is a step back to the gracious ranching life and family based hospitality of a bygone era.

The Wines
Hawk and Horse Red Hill Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 – This wine was made in a near perfect vintage with ideal weather conditions. Warm daytime temperatures were followed by cooler weather at nights. The wine is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Petite Verdot. The Cabernet is made in an old world style with minimal intervention in the cellar allowing for a full expression of the fruit and terroir to shine through. This classic mountain grown Cabernet Sauvignon is rich, dense and concentrated. The wine has a deep ruby color. On the nose the wine is very aromatic, there is black fruit, dark cherries, raspberry jam, cocoa and spice which continues to exude onto the palate. The tannins are well-integrated and you have a wonderful long lingering smooth finish. This polished age worthy wine can be drunk now or cellar for later enjoyment.

Rich, powerful and seductive, the wine will pair delectably with red meats, most notable a juicy steak, but will also hold up to a pork or lamb preparation. This is a wine that will pair well with food but because of its acidity and fruit it is also a wonderful sipping wine that can be enjoyed with a few friends next to a warm fire on a cool night.

Hawk and Horse Latigo Dessert Wine 2011 ( 375ml) – Latigo is a fortified dessert wine made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Produced in the traditional port style, this wine is fortified with alembic high-proof brandy. The wine is then aged 29 months in new French oak before bottling. “Latigo” is an equestrian term, being the supple, red leather strap which hangs off the left or “port” side of a Western saddle. The word Latigo was popularized in the Garth Brooks song, Rodeo. The wine is dark ruby in color. The nose expresses hints of vanilla, red fruit and caramel. The palate is smoky up front with caramel, dark chocolate, cherries and plum. The fruit, the brandy, and the oak are all very well-integrated. The wine is luscious and sweet with 13% residual sugar, so you can drink on its own as the main dessert or pair with cheeses, fresh fruit or chocolate. I paired it with a simple plate of sweetened summer berries and crème fraiche.

Being a wine writer you can imagine I taste a lot of wine. I am constantly on the search for a wine that “wows” me. It is not very often that I come across a wine that I want to shout out and yell out on my balcony for all to try, but that is exactly what I wanted to do when I tasted the wines of Hawk and Horse Vineyard. It is such a proud moment when you have a new discovery that you want everyone to try, for me it is this lovely Cabernet Sauvignon from Hawk and Horse Vineyard. It is one of those wines that you have to go out and immediately order. Both the wines are flat-out gorgeous. The wines of Hawks and Horse Vineyards can hold its own next to any of its Napa neighbors. These are solid, intense, concentrated wines that are well-balanced and structured. A must try.

http://www.syrahqueen.com/hawk-and-horse-vineyard/