"This is Divine!" Cult Hourglass Sauv Blanc: See Why French Laundry & Village Pub Pours
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Originally sent to our list on October 5, 2026. Pricing and availability reflect that date — for current pricing and stock, see artisan.wine.
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A Personal Note
Dear Artisans,
In July I wrote to you about Hourglass’s Sauvignon Blanc. In September we opened the whole range at our Hourglass masterclass. Since then the reviews have kept coming, so here is everything again, the Sauvignon Blanc first, then every Hourglass and Mabon wine we have.
Was The French Laundry’s By-The-Glass
A few vintages back, Hourglass’s Sauvignon Blanc was The French Laundry’s by-the-glass Sauvignon Blanc: Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-star room in Yountville poured the 2021 by the glass through 2022 and 2023. Today it is poured by the glass at Harris’ in San Francisco and on the list at the Michelin-starred Village Pub in Woodside, Mustards Grill in Yountville and Cavallo Point in Sausalito. No reservation needed here: it is $34.97 a bottle on our shelf.
Our #1 Sauvignon Blanc
This is our #1 Sauvignon Blanc, the one chosen this year for weddings and high-profile elite events, for good reason. And we have held it at $34.97 for the past five vintages.
Double 94 Points
Jeb Dunnuck: “a bright, fresh, focused, pure mouthfeel, beautiful balance, and outstanding length.” James Suckling: “This is a divine and mineral-driven white.” And new since July, Lisa Perrotti-Brown at The Wine Palate gave it 93: “Intense notes of fresh pineapple, passion fruit, and green apples rock from the glass.”
It comes from seven vineyard sites up and down Napa and Sonoma, 86% Sauvignon Blanc and Musqué with 14% Sémillon, mostly fermented in stainless steel with a share in seasoned and new French oak. Dunnuck counts roughly 2,600 cases.
Four Acres, Where The Valley Narrows
Hourglass was founded, and is still run, by Jeff and Carolyn Smith, on land Jeff’s father bought in 1976, with a first vintage in 1997. The name comes from the vineyard’s spot north of St. Helena, at the precise point where the valley pinches like an hourglass, which pulls cooling breezes through the vines.
In 2001, before the Napa Valley Wine Auction, the unreleased 1997 was slipped into a “cult” tasting beside the 1997 Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate and Bryant Family, wines Robert Parker had scored 100. It held its own, and sold out within days.
In 2006 Jeff added the twenty-acre Blueline Estate in Calistoga, named for the two “blue-line” streams that frame it. Bob Foley made the first fifteen vintages. Tony Biagi has made the wines since 2012 and is now a co-owner, with Adrien Halpin beside him since 2019.
Same Scores. Nothing Like The Same Money.
Napa’s cult estates earn their prices on scarcity and forty years of reputation. Harlan, Screaming Eagle and Bryant Family cost hundreds to thousands of dollars a bottle. Hourglass earns the same class of scores on four acres: the 2023 Estate Cabernet took 98 from Jeb Dunnuck and The Wine Palate, at $249.99.
James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Why This Matters
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The White
2024 Hourglass Sauvignon Blanc.
Jeb Dunnuck 94. James Suckling 94. Wine Palate 93. Vinous 90.
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Hourglass Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Napa Valley & Sonoma County
Lemon, orange blossom, lime leaf and pomelo, then grapefruit and mango over a wet-stone minerality; lees stirring gives the mid-palate its roundness.
All four reviews are below.
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The Rest Of Hourglass · In Price Order
From The HG III To The Estate.
Four reds from the St. Helena estate and the Blueline vineyard in Calistoga.
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The Entry To The House
Hourglass ‘HG III’ Red Blend 2023
Napa Valley
Merlot, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon: Merlot for bright red fruit, Petite Sirah for the dark base, Cabernet for the frame. Wine Spectator, Decanter and James Suckling all at 94.
“Expressive and detailed, with multilayered red currant and cherry flavors.” — Wine Spectator
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Blueline Estate · Calistoga
Hourglass Blueline Estate Merlot 2023
Calistoga · Napa Valley
80% Merlot from the Blueline Estate, across the road from Duckhorn’s Three Palms. Decanter at 95: “arguably one of the most ageworthy Merlot-driven wines of the 2023 vintage.”
“Remarkably grippy, Barolo-like tannins that soften around juicy, spice-laced plum fruit.” — Decanter
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Blueline Estate · Calistoga
Hourglass Blueline Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Calistoga · Napa Valley
77% Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec, off Blueline’s volcanic ash and river cobbles. Jeb Dunnuck at 96: “Ultra-classic and lights-out good.”
“It does everything right and is well worth your time and money.” — Jeb Dunnuck
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The Flagship · About 775 Cases
Hourglass Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
St. Helena · Napa Valley
97% See-clone Cabernet with 3% Petit Verdot from the original four-acre estate. Jeb Dunnuck and The Wine Palate at 98, Vinous and James Suckling at 97. Galloni: “one of the very finest wines I have tasted at Hourglass, if not the finest.”
“It might be the finest vintage I’ve tasted of this cuvée.” — Jeb Dunnuck
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Mabon By Hourglass
Three Historic Vineyards. One Rhône-Minded House.
Jeff and Carolyn Smith’s Rhône passion project, from heritage California vineyards.
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Hudson Vineyard · Carneros
Mabon Hudson Vineyard Syrah 2023
Carneros · Napa Valley
100% Syrah from Lee Hudson’s Carneros vineyard, native yeast, 30% whole cluster. Decanter at 97, The Wine Palate at 96. Jeb Dunnuck counts roughly 294 cases.
“A brilliant, classy, complex, and seductive Syrah to drink over the coming decades.” — Jeb Dunnuck
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Morisoli Vineyard · Rutherford
Mabon Heritage Field Blend 2023
Rutherford · Napa Valley
A “mixed black” field blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignan from vines planted in 1985. Decanter at 96: “If you think you’re not a Zinfandel fan, this wine may well change your mind entirely.”
“Rocking aromatics of red plums, blue fruits, violets, flowers, and peppery, spicy nuances.” — Jeb Dunnuck
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Rossi Ranch · Sonoma Valley
Mabon Rossi Ranch GSM 2023
Sonoma Valley
80% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre and 2% Syrah from Rossi Ranch, farmed by organic pioneer Phil Coturri. Five critics, five 94s. Jeb Dunnuck: “It would give a classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape a solid run for its money!”
“Rossi Ranch is one of the most distinguished properties in Sonoma County.” — Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The Bottom Line
Start with the white. Stay for the whole house.
The Sauvignon Blanc is $34.97. The HG III is $49.99, the Blueline Merlot $89.99, the Blueline Cabernet $149.99 and the 98-point Estate Cabernet $249.99. All three Mabon wines are $84.99.
Four planted acres in St. Helena, twenty in Calistoga, and a Rhône habit on the side.
Cheers,
— James Tran
Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Artisan Wine & Spirits · 2495 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View, CA 94043
Questions? Chat Live · sales@artisan.wine · 650-917-8080 |
The Artisan VIP List
Prices so low… we can’t show!
Join our VIP list to receive private sale offers with prices too low to publish, along with rare allocations.
Join The VIP List →
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