Hamel Isthmus 2018
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A deep ruby tone in the glass, the wine displays notes of black fruit and cassis over an aromatic fabric of iron, clove, graphite, cedar and balsam. Dense and layered in texture, the palate shows ripe and juicy black fruit tannins woven into a monolith of structure. Through the richness, an integrated freshness and streak of minerality invigorates the wine towards a sustained and powerful finish.
Blend: 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Isthmus is made up of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot from the Nuns Canyon and Hamel Family Ranch Vineyards. Notably, it was matured for 12 months in 26% new French oak barrels and transferred to concrete tanks for an additional 17 months' maturation. Deep ruby in color, the nose features blackcurrants and cherries with slowly emerging wafts of tobacco, charcuterie, graphite and dried herbs. The medium-bodied palate is powdery and seamless, its structural balance giving it a featherweight feel in the mouth. Fresh, smooth, long and layered, it's an easy-drinking yet complex meritage that will benefit from another 2-3 years in bottle to unwind.
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Wine Enthusiast
From the Sonoma Valley-based producer's two estates, Hamel Family and Nun's Canyon, this blends a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Thick, herbal and tannic in its youth, it has complex tones of iron, crushed rock and elusively tart, tangy fruit at its core, strong and powerful in concentration and structure. Enjoy best from 2028 through 2038.
Other Vintages
2017-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast
At Hamel Family Wines, we strive to make great wine and to have fun doing so. We value quality over quantity, enjoyment over tedium and foster long-term recurring relationships with our guests. We work hard to produce the highest quality wines in limited quantities from grapes grown on our Sonoma Valley and Moon Mountain District estate vineyards. We farm our vineyards with organic and biodynamic practices, always mindful of our roles as responsible stewards of the land. We remain grateful for our guests, respectful of our neighbors and appreciate of the fine work that our team performs daily.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.