Second Pour Monday: So, let’s not bury the lead, shall we?

THE HIGHEST-FLYING HAWK & HORSE EVER!

Hawk & Horse returns to celebrate a huge win for the winery and a huge win for Wine Spies Operatives!

A 96 POINTER Publisher’s Pick by The Tasting Panel and at nearly 60% off plus from an all-time Operative favorite winery! By the man who made the first Screaming Eagle?! My goodness!

Easily the single most popular winery in our storied 16 years - and we’ve had but a handful of library wines like this…

First, the winemaker, Dr. Richard Peterson. Before Heidi Barrett came on board it was her dad, Dr. Peterson who led the first four vintages of Screaming Eagle into cult stardom. That’s not all. He also took André Tchelistcheff’s post at Beaulieu Vineyards while helping develop Atlas Peak Vineyards and 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, he also is the author of an award-winning autobiography “The Winemaker.” Just… WOW!

Second, we have the Red Hills - a little-known (for now) appellation 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 reason why visionaries like Schrader, Derenoncourt, and Beckstoffer have been quietly investing here.

And third?! The price, obviously!! Almost 60% off retail pricing is perhaps expected these days - but no guarantee it lasts the day!

In the glass? Exactly what you’d expect from Hawk & Horse. The wine itself is GORGEOUS. Deep dark fruit and an array of spices on the palate are perfectly integrated with soft, pillowy tannins. This is one of those finishes that lasts for a week. Blackberry, black plum, currant, cedar, and white pepper are held in a perfectly linear and lush body with well-balanced acid. At $85 it drinks like a champ, at $35 it outshines just about anything you can put next to it.

The 2019 (last vintage) Block Three WAS the #1 highest-rated Hawk & Horse when Wine Enthusiast wrote that “this powerful but composed wine should have a long life ahead and get more complex each year.” THIS BEAUTY THOUGH?! Even better with 96 Points… and it could be all yours!

Get to it!

96 Points, Publisher’s Pick – The Tasting Panel

“This small-production, French oak-aged wine was made with fruit from an 18-acre estate vineyard at elevations up to 2,220 feet on rocky red volcanic soil. Blended with 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the stunning result is abundant in dark red fruit that polishes the palate with sweet tobacco, pomegranate, basil, and mocha. There’s a hint of cedar and white pepper on the long finish.”