A beautiful winery that is steeped in Hungarian tradition, the Hertelendy story is inspired by the founder’s great uncle Gabor Hertelendy who grew two varietals in his basalt-mountain vineyards overlooking Lake Balaton: Szürkebarát (better known as Pinot Gris) and Kéknyelű (a rare Hungarian white wine grape only found in the Badacsony wine region). I’ll fully admit that I am not familiar with this wine region. After his family immigrated from Hungary and settled down in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ralph Hertelendy began his wine love affair at a very young age — drinking French Grand Crus at the age of 5! Ralph was 15 when he created his first beer and then made his first wine in a basement at age 25. After getting his business degree from the University of San Francisco, Ralph became a sommelier and worked for several wineries in the Napa Valley as a Winemaker’s Assistant and in sales.
Ralph and his family rely today on the talents of winemaker Phillip Titus, one of Napa’s most prestigious winemakers. A graduated of the famed UC Davis Enology and Viticulture program, Titus began his focus on viticulture and wine at the age of 12 when he began helping his father in the family vineyard.
I love the new 2021 lineup of wines for Hertelendy. They have made one of the outstanding Napa Cabernet Francs I have tasted this year. The 2021 Hertelendy ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Franc (OB, 96) is beautifully floral and offers great concentration and verve. Even better is the stunning 2021 Hertelendy ‘Legend’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 98) which is very heady and intense with gorgeous purity of fruit and stony terroir. Learn more about this famed Napa house at https://hertelendy.com/ and here are the outstanding new wines by Hertelendy.
2021 Hertelendy ‘Woolsey Road Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2021 ‘Woolsey Road Vineyard’ comes from this great Russian River Valley property. Ripe and rich, this shows lovely salinity with mango, pineapple, lemon drop and baked apple flavors with buttered brioche. Finishing long with cream and minerals, this is a beautiful bottling that is showing so well even in its youth. Drink 2024-2032- 94
2021 Hertelendy ‘Audere’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Audere’ is a rich and luscious new bottling that delivers offers full-bodied espresso ground flavors alongside mocha, tar and allspice dusted blueberry. Offering plenty of richness and underlying verve, this is a beautiful rendition of this wine that slightly eclipses the 2018 bottling. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. Drink 2024-2036- 94
2021 Hertelendy ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Franc- The beautiful 2021 Hertelendy ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Franc is a sensational new bottling from this warm vintage. This offers rich red bell pepper tones alongside mocha, tar and sagebrush notes. The palate is soft and refined with a silky texture and wonderful sense of elegance. Rich dark and blue fruits parade with stony minerals and freshly tilled loamy soils on the palate. Finishing long this is a simply marvelous effort that has a long way in the cellar to go. Drink 2024-2044- 96
2021 Hertelendy ‘Signature Mountain Red Blend’ Red Wine- The outstanding 2021 Hertelendy ‘Signature Mountain Red Blend’ Red Wine comes from the Rockwell Ridge Vineyard that is set on Howell Mountain. This right bank inspired blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc shows gorgeous red florals on the nose alongside wet stone, blackberry compote and creme de cassis with sweet pipe tobacco. The palate is soft and refined with serious texture and underlying verve. Stunning and captivating to consume now in its heady youth, this will easily live on for another twenty years to come. Drink 2024-2044- 97
2021 Hertelendy ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Outstanding and delicious even in its heady youth, the 2021 Hertelendy ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon really needs about an hour in the decanter to fully strut its stuff. Stored for 23 months in 90% New French and Hungarian Oak prior to bottling, the wine evolves with beautiful loamy and rocky soils on the palate, alongside good tension and a generous core of black fruit flavors. Espresso grounds and dark chocolate shavings add to the intrigue, as this generous bottling will live on for another twenty plus years to come. Drink 2024-2044— 96
2021 Hertelendy ‘Legend’ Cabernet Sauvignon- An amazing wine from this great vintage, the 2021 Hertelendy ‘Legend’ is a gorgeous barrel-select bottling that is extremely dark in the glass. Black raspberry and chocolate cake flavors combine with tar and tobacco leaf on the palate. Rich and dense, with fantastic flavor density, verve and length, and stony accents, this really needs another year in the bottle for everything to come together — but you can see the incredible potential here. Drink 2025-2050- 98