Hourglass winery

Just north of St Helena in the Napa Valley lies Hourglass, a small family-run winery built around two of its own vineyards. The name is not a marketing ploy, but a description of the actual shape of the original vineyard, which stretched out like a narrow hourglass between two mountain ranges.

History

The Smith family has lived in the Napa Valley since the mid-1960s. Jeff Smith’s father was a property developer, and as part of his land deals he acquired plots that later became Grace Vineyards and Stags’ Leap Winery. The original Hourglass vineyard was purchased in 1975. Jeff and his wife Caroline planted it with Cabernet Sauvignon and released their first commercial vintage in 1997. For several years, all production came from this single vineyard.

In 2006, Jeff acquired a second estate, Blueline Estate in the Calistoga sub-region, named after the blue line on US Forest Service maps denoting coastal zones, and the two streams on the property that feed into the Napa River. A dedicated winery was built, first used for the 2009 vintage.

Vineyards, terroir and grape varieties

The original Hourglass vineyard north of St. Helena is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Blaufränkisch, a Central European red variety that is rare in Napa. Stony volcanic soils are visible at the foot of the vines. The Blueline Estate in Calistoga is planted with five classic Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Winemaking and wines

Production is limited and primarily aimed at newsletter subscribers.

The flagship wines are ‘Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon’ from the original estate, ‘Hourglass Blaufränkisch’ and ‘Blueline Estate Cabernet Sauvignon’ from the vineyard in Kalistoga.

The range also includes the red blend ‘Blueline’ and, in most vintages, ‘Merlot’. Subscribers to the mailing list are welcome to visit the cellar and tasting room at ‘Blueline’.