What We Say 2008 Red Hills Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Where were you in 2008?
I was moving across the country to Napa, with no idea that 17 years later (!) I’d be writing about a wine grown that year…
That’s right, we’re winding back the clock and taking you DEEP into the library stash from Op-favorite Hawk and Horse.
If you’re new to this producer, it’s time to catch you up. Otherwise, you can skip straight to the tasting note, then decide how many you need in your Locker. Just be quick about it, because $100+ OFF brings all the Ops to the yard faster than
First, the winemaker, Dr. Richard Peterson. Heard of him? Probably not. But you’ve heard of Screaming Eagle and Heidi Barrett. Get this - before Heidi came on board it was her dad, Dr. Peterson who led the first four vintages of Screaming Eagle into cult stardom. Then Heidi Barrett took over. That’s not all. Richard also took André Tchelistcheff’s post at Beaulieu Vineyards, helped develop Atlas Peak Vineyards, and he presides over numerous institutions including the American Society for Enology & Viticulture, The Wine Institute, Society of Wine Educators and American Institute for Wine and Food. Oh and he wrote an award-winning autobiography “The Winemaker”. Just…WOW!
Second, we have the Red Hills AVA, a little known (for now) region named for its red volcanic soils. It sits just north of Napa, in Lake County - about ten miles north of Howell Mountain in fact. Here you’ll find some exceedingly high-quality Cabernet without the “Napa tax”. There’s a good reason why visionaries like Fred Schrader, Stéphane Derenoncourt, and Andy Beckstoffer have been quietly investing in land here. This gem comes from a small 18-acre Demeter Certified Biodynamic® Vineyard perched at 2,200 feet elevation.
The true test of a Cabernet’s worthiness is how well it ages. This one? Beautifully done I’d say. It’s fully entering it’s mid-life stage, but not lacking in fruit. “After an hour becomes magical” as one of the recent (2025) few reviews noted on Cellartracker and we’d have to agree with that assessment. It still has a generous core of fruit, which once sweetly fruited has evolved into more dusty, dried, and yet still reasonably ripe. The telltale signs of age have pushed their way to the front with graphite, dusty old leather, integrated oak, and fully resolved tannins smoothing it all out nicely.
As you might guess, with a library offer like this we got much less than usual. Stake your claim while it’s here…
94 Points - The Tasting Panel “Grown on an 18-acre organic and certified biodynamic mountain estate vineyard on rocky, volcanic soils about 2,200 feet in elevation. We were wowed: It was love at first nosing. Dramatic aromatics of roses and cranberries are startling. While the texture begins with an indulgent plushness, it becomes dusty and mouth-smacking mid-palate. The more you sip. the blacker the fruit, and a sinewy stream of dark chocolate runs parallel to the pool of plums and ink-berries.”
What the Winery Says
Hawk and Horse Vineyards
Grown on our 18-acre estate mountain vineyard at elevations of up to 2,200 feet in rocky red volcanic soil. The vineyard is CCOF Organic and Demeter Certified Biodynamic®. On the ranch we pursue a true biodynamic “closed system,” where biodynamic preparations are sourced primarily from our property. A picturesque aspect of this is our Scottish Highland cattle, which play an important role. Hand crafted in an old-world style, we use minimal intervention in the cellar to bring the highest expression of our Lake County Red Hills vineyard’s terroir to every glass.
The 2008 growing season was distinguished by dramatic fluctuations in temperature with highs above 100 degrees during the day and evenings cooling to the low 60s. We saw uniformity of ripeness and fruit with concentrated flavors and deep color. Harvest was 1.7 tons per acre on September 30th.
Aromas of wild rose, cedar and spice. Rich and full bodied with notes of cocoa, berries, earth, balanced by firm yet velvety tannins. Perfect with grilled pepper steak or sip with chocolate soufflé. Beautiful now, yet with enough structure to age into the next decade.
