Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/57654
F or those industry veterans out there, Jeff Smith's name may seem familiar. He was on the original team that launched Skyy Vodka with Maurice Kanbar and built its national distribution team, before it was sold to Campari. That was about 20 years ago. When he left that project, he returned to his "home" business. His parents owned a Napa Valley vineyard called Hourglass, and when his father passed away in 1991, Jeff took over. "I had already noticed a paradigm shift occurring in Napa Valley," he tells THE TASTING PANEL. "I felt we could be part of something special. Phylloxera hit hard and my mom wanted to sell the property." Smith is referring to the 1970s and 1980s, when people were "drifting into Napa and picking up the bones" from Prohibition—but without any farming experience and without knowing the history of the area. He adds, "Of course, there were exceptions, such as André Tchelistcheff." Tasting the Future Jeff Smith is already at the cutting edge of Napa Valley winemaking. He is also showcasing a new signature Napa Valley modern architecture with his stunning Olle Lundberg–designed caves. For these new producers, experimenting in the absence of local knowledge later led to trying to think like the Bordelais, according to Smith, who belongs to the following generation of Napa winemakers. "Bordeaux and Napa have no relation- ship as far as terroir goes," he says, "yet we were—we are—using their winemak- ing practices. As phylloxera forced our hand to replant in the late '80s, we realized this, and became conscious of our climate differentials, we asked, 'What is the experience here?' rather than, 'What would the Bordelais do?' That gave rise to significant farming and winemaking practices which spawned the original cult wines: Screaming Eagle, Colgin, Grace , Arajuo, Dalla Valle, Grace. . ." Smith is not inferring that Hourglass is or has become a cult wine, however. "We are one of the tiny producers—we are fortunate to have more demand than supply— but the cult wines led the way for us. Fortunately, my mom said yes back in '91." Two Vineyard Sites Hourglass Winery draws from two estate vineyard sites. The Smith family has owned Hourglass Vineyard, just north of St. Helena, since 1976. The vineyard is named for the geographic shape created by two parallel mountain ranges—the Mayacamas to the west and the Vaca to the east—as they funnel together in dra- matic fashion to form a narrow point. The Napa River flows just below the vines. This "hourglass effect" would eventually play a significant role in defining the yet-to-be-planted Cabernet vineyard. The constricting mountains are the cause of a thermal dynamic that, at 4 p.m. every day, cools the narrow crossing where the vineyard is planted. The winery itself is located at the Blueline Vineyard—procured in 2006, with two partners. Located in Calistoga on the eastern border of Napa Valley where a pair of ancient watersheds emerged from the canyon of the Vaca mountain range, two "blue-line" streams were created that would be the source for alluvial soil depos- its. The streams formed gravel beds of mineral-rich, nutrient-poor soils—ideal conditions for growing world-class Bordeaux varieties. The vineyard is contiguous to the famous Three Palms and Switchback Ridge vineyards, notable for their magnificent Merlot. march 2012 / the tasting panel / 83 Hourglass winemaker Bob Foley knows the science behind the soil and is responsible for crafting wines from the estate's two unique vineyards. Before we tasted anything in bottle, Jeff Smith first introduced us to the 2010 barrel samples of the Blueline Vineyard Malbec and Merlot. These impressive barrel samples show Foley's skill at extracting the essence of the site. Hourglass 2010 Merlot, Blueline Vineyard, Napa Valley ($75) to be released fall 2012 Saying that the 100% Merlot has a unique profile is an understatement. Armed with chalky tannic grip, it has a sensation of stretching across the palate, a tidal wave of coating tanginess and concentration. Strawberry to chocolate-cherry density. Hourglass 2010 Malbec, Blueline Vineyard, Napa Valley ($75) to be released spring 2012 Fresh summer plums, violets and rosemary are just part of this high-toned, "sparky" Malbec from the Blueline Vineyard. The vibrancy of the minerality from the gravelly soils electrify the palate with a jalapeño jolt.