Hawley Winery Dry Creek Valley Red - 3 Pack (One Autographed bottle)

Hawley Winery Dry Creek Valley Red - 3 Pack (One Autographed bottle)
$54.99 + $7.00 shipping
CONDITION: Red
PRODUCTS:
2 2004 Hawley Merlot, Dry Creek Valley (One bottle signed by John Hawley)
1 2004 Hawley Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley
CT links above

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Damn you mill!!! I was going for first sucker after drinking the Merlot this evening but apparently I missed! Boo!!

Reports to come…but the bottom line is that if you enjoy the style of certain Napa-based producers with the initials CC, you will almost certainly be happy with this wine.

The Sideways watching impressionable wine drinking public still needs to issue a formal apology to the California Merlot industry.

Judging by the harvest and bottling dates, looks like both wines spent at least 18 months in…

Cooperage stats please :slight_smile:

Hawley is an excellent winery, and John (along with Doug Nalle) makes some of my favorite Sonoma wines. That being said, this doesn’t strike me as a mind-bogglingly good deal compared to retail (or even direct with a wine club discount).

But I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who hasn’t tried them.

I just look at that movie as a good gauge of people who can’t have a thought of their own.

The Merlot is exceedingly scrumptious, and lovely now, or I reckon for 5 or 10 years more. Full report to come wh. en I get home. Quality stuff, with true balance.

Hey folks, Paul Hawley here. I make the wines with my dad, John, and brother, Austin. Both the Cab and Merlot come from our estate vineyard (organically grown). They spent 18 months in 50% new French barrels, with racking every three months to clarify and soften the wines. Before bottling 8% Cab was blended into the Merlot and 12% Merlot into the Cab.

There are quite a few… entertaining film though. The little “Featured in Sideways” stickers on all the featured wineries really bugged me while on a Central Coast wine trip.

extra thanks to Paul for creating the Vinters Video about the Woot! offering too. love it.

If you are wondering why I’m not in the video, it’s because I’m the one behind the camera.

welcome Paul, thanks for the early involvement.

Thanks!

I think those folks missed the part where the Miles character was a neurotic d-bag. And his ‘Elanore’ wine is a blend of merlot and cab franc. But yeah the whole merlot hate was stupid. What’s worse though was the prevalence of sub standard pinot noir. Just saying.

I figured a video is the only way to really show what an awesome location that Cab vineyard is. Six foot terraces overlooking the whole Dry Creek Valley. The soil is weak and rocky, forcing the vines to struggle. Happy vines make lazy wines- so they say.

Stop making me want to buy more wine dangit!!

I hope my dad is ready to sign some bottles tomorrow!

Does the signature also appreciate with age? :wink:

[labrat]
Lab Rat Reporting in!

Bonus Lab Rat Bottle: 2004 Hawley Merlot

Forward: My Preferences - I most enjoy Bordeaux varietals (Merlot included). I also enjoy Tempranillos, Zins, and Rhones (in that order). I tend to be a fan of wines that are a bit fruitier than spicy. I like tannins but prefer them to be fine grained. I do not have a terribly sensitive palate to either oak or alcohol.

5:30 PM - Looking at the Bottle and opening it up:

Bottle fill: Mid neck, maybe a bit low, but still decent purveyance.

Upon opening: Some sediment in the neck.

Color: Rich red-garnet

Nose: Vibrant Cherry and plum, hint of aged undertones (cedar/leather)

Palate: WOW closed! SOUR CHERRY with Gripping tannins! Behind the tannins I got glimpses of aged leather and spice as well as more fruit.

THIS WINE NEEDS DECANTING!

8:15 - Almost 3 hours later when Klezman and I sat down and tasted just before dinner, the wine had started opening up.

Color - same

Nose - More muted than before. Notes of plum, ripe cherry, and very ripe blueberry possibly. These are backed by a vanilla or caramel note (must be the oak).

Palate - Plum up front with an acidity that builds into the mid palate and then gives way into aged flavors of dusty leather that then submits to the still quite large and grippy tannins.

My take - This wine does not have as much fruit as I like for a straight sipper. It has definite aged nuances which are tasty and not extreme, this wine is NOT past its prime. The tannins even at almost 3 hours in the decanter are still distractingly large.

8:30 - With Food

Mmmmmm I like this much better with food.

Dinner:
Greek Vegetable Salad (care of Klez) - Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Bell pepper, Red onion, Feta, Herbs and a vinaigrette.

Pasta - Rotini Pasta with Pancetta, Sun-dried tomato, basil, Sweet Potato, Basil, and green onion in a garlic-cream sauce

French bread with Olive oil and tasty Woot Balsamic

Cheeses

Taste:
With food (an a bit more time through our hour of dinner) This wine showed itself to be a truly fine specimen. The palate cleared up to a lovely continuum as follows:

The Flavor started with plums (just barely ripe so they still have significant acidity), continued into a wonderful dustiness, resolved through italian herbs and finished with softening but still significant tannins.

Now THAT is what I call a good wine!

Don’t be turned off by the bottle saying “Merlot” This wine drinks like a Cab.

This wine needs time
This wine likes food
But it is undeniable that this is QUALITY wine that is a steal for this price if you enjoy a slightly more austere styling to your reds.

I’ll be on for any questions throughout the day and I hope to get back to the last bit of this in the bottle before time runs out on this deal tonight.