One of the great Napa Valley wineries, HALL was founded in 1992 by Katheryn and Craig Hall. What was initially a very simply constructed tasting room, roughly ten years ago HALL have built one of the most beautiful, state of the art, wineries in Napa. This is a must visit for any serious Napa enophile. I always enjoy my visits to this special spot in St. Helena.
HALL also have two separate lines, WALT (focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) and BACA (Focusing on Zinfandel) that are seriously good in their own rights. I have been blown away with the consistency of these wines, particularly in recent years. It is clear that the focus on quality is paramount as this winery has not only been blessed with an exceptional run of vintages but has been known to succeed even in the more challenging vintages like 2010 and 2011. HALL now makes a series of value wines that are really good.
The new lineup by HALL is exceedingly good across the board. I was completely blown away with the new 2018 HALL ‘Kathryn Hall’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 97) which is soft, pillowy and providing tons of drinking enjoyment even right now. One of the best wines I have had all year, the 2018 HALL ‘Rainin VIneyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 100) is perfection in a bottle. This seamless, sensational wine has such a long life ahead of it. Learn more about these beautiful wines at hallwines.com Here are the beautiful new wines by HALL.
2018 HALL ‘Ellie’s’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Named after Craig Hall’s grandmother who was an artist, the 2018 ‘Ellie’s’ Cabernet Sauvignon reveals ripe dark currants collide with tobacco leaf, milk chocolate and shades of coffee grounds on the nose. The palate is very elegant with silky tannins that come together with ripe dark fruits, cigar box and pipe tobacco on the palate. With good freshness and finesse, this gorgeous new bottling will cellar well for another fifteen years. Drink 2021-2036- 94
2018 HALL ‘Eighteen Seventy-Three’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Eighteen Seventy-Three’ is named after the first year that vines were planted at the HALL Saint Helena location. This is a wine that is mostly sourced from Howell Mountain and Atlas Peak. Right away this shows off black tea and exotic spices that mingle with a core of ripe dark fruits on the nose. The palate is fresh with bright acidity alongside black currants, blackberry and coffee grounds with herbal undertones that all meld together beautifully. The oak character in the wine beautifully compliments the core of fruit and non-fruit flavors. Highly enjoyable in its youth, this has another fifteen to twenty years to go. Drink 2021-2038- 95
2018 HALL ‘Stags Leap District’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2018 ‘Stags Leap District’ Cabernet Sauvignon exudes class with its blueberry pie, toasty oak, espresso bean and graphite tones aromatically. Full-bodied with gobs of tension and flavor density and opulence, layers of ripe black and blue fruits collide with Turkish coffee and shades of salty soils on the palate. Deeply concentrated and showing serious tension and weight, this gorgeous bottling has another twenty years to go. Drink 2021-2041- 96
2018 HALL ‘Montagna Vineyards’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The high-elevation ‘Montagna Vineyards’ are located in Pritchard Hill on the south side of Lake Hennessey near the famed Stagecoach Vineyard. On the nose this shows off black rose petals alongside black tea, exotic spices and shades of creme de cassis that all meld in the glass. The palate is dense, plush and highly refined with gobs of tension and mouth-watering acidity. A light dusting of salinity falls on the core of black and blue fruits with espresso bean and creme de violette all impress on the palate. The aromatic and flavor range is truly outstanding as this generous bottling has two decades of life ahead of it. Drink 2021-2041- 98
2018 HALL ‘Bergfeld’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2018 ‘Bergfeld’ is located at the HALL property in Saint Helena. 20 acres are planted to mainly Cabernet Sauvignon as soils are very well-drained in this ancient riverbed soils. Showing off its dense and polished mouthfeel, silky tannins line a massive core of blackberry, creme de cassis and mocha flavors with salty undertones and shades of loamy soils on the palate. Gorgeous now, this has a long way to go in t he cellar. Drink 2021-2038- 95
2018 HALL ‘Auspicious’ Cabernet Sauvignon- During the blending process of making the Howell Mountain the blend they chose did not quite meet the Howell Mountain requirements. The toasty oak on the nose beautifully compliments the core of blue and black fruits with espresso bean undercurrents. Full bodied and rich, firm tannins hold in place downright sexy core of black tea, Turkish coffee, black tea, cigar box, blueberry pie and loganberry cordial on the palate. The flavor range exhibited is sensational. Gorgeous to consume now, this will have another twenty plus years ahead of it. Drink 2021-2041- 97
2018 HALL ‘Jack’s Masterpiece’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Named after HALL director of winemaking Mike Reynolds’s son, Jack, the ‘Jack’s Masterpiece’ is a stunning new wine that has some serious aging potential. Sourced from more than 20 vineyard sites, this shows off ripe dark currants that mingle with espresso bean, blackberry compote, graphite and leather undertones on the palate. Silky tannins and a lengthy finish complete this beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon bottling that has a really long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2021-2041- 96
2018 HALL ‘Kathryn Hall’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2018 ‘Kathryn Hall’ is a blockbuster new release by HALL that is silky, refined and shows incredible flavor density. Sourced from a host of vineyards including Sacrashe Vineyard. Once on the nose this takes on layers of dark florals that combine with creme de cassis, loamy soils and anise aromatically. The palate is seamless and silky throughout the drinking experience, as this exudes elegance. This finishes exceeding long with minerals and dark fruits. Absolutely gorgeous to enjoy in its youth, this has another twenty years to go in the cellar. Drink 2021-2038- 97
2018 HALL ‘Rainin Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The Rainin Vineyard is a small site located on Diamond Mountain. Right away you are captivated by the aromas of violet rose petals alongside Earl Grey tea, huckleberry cordial and shades of tar. The aromatic range here is simply magical. The palate is silky and utterly seamless as firm tannins line a massive wall of blueberry compote, dark chocolate shavings, graphite, creme de cassis, loamy soils and shades of creosote. The wine effortlessly glides across the mid-palate. This is nothing short of perfection in a bottle — a timeless Cabernet Sauvignon that will be exceedingly long-lived. Drink 2021-2041- 100
2018 HALL ‘Sacrashe Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The Sacrashe Vineyard is partially owned by HALL, as they control 33 acres at this site. The alluring aromas of tar and dark currants mingle well with coffee grounds and shades of black licorice. The palate is exceedingly refined with silky tannins that line a sumptuous core of black currant cordial, mocha, creosote, graphite and loamy soils with a light dusting of salinity on the palate. Seamless throughout the drinking experience this utterly fantastic bottling will cellar well for another twenty plus years. Drink 2021-2045- 99