2020 Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill
Tasting Notes
Deep garnet color with aromas of vanilla, black cherry, sage, and a hint of licorice. This Cabernet Sauvignon displays flavors of dark berry jam, baking spices, and cardamom finishing with silky tannins, and powdered cocoa.
The Winemaking
Upon arriving from the vineyard, our Cabernet Sauvignon is gently destemmed and crushed before being moved to the tank to begin fermentation. During this process, we carefully return fermenting wine onto its own “cap” of grape skins to extract all of the color, flavors and tannins. We then press the remaining skins, and the resulting wine is aged for approximately 20 months in a combination of hand-selected American and European oak barrels. 15% Merlot is blended in to round out the mouth feel.
The Vineyards
Cecil De Loach has been farming the Russian River Valley for over 40 years and was among a small group of vintners that helped define this area as one of America’s premier growing regions. This Cabernet Sauvignon was made from vines grown at Cecil’s Los Amigos Ranch, a vineyard in the Chalk Hill district of the Russian River Valley.
Aging: 20 months in French & American oak, 30% new
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.45
TA: .66
Cases Produced: 3740
Estate Bottled: May 1, 2022
Winemaker: Jason DeLoach
2020 Hook & Ladder Merlot, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill
Tasting Notes
This single vineyard Merlot displays a deep garnet color. Aromas of ripe strawberries and Rabbiteye blueberries give way to caramel and cedar. Chocolate, cola, and spice make this finish smooth and memorable.
The Vineyards
Cecil De Loach has been farming the Russian River Valley for over 40 years and was among a small group of vintners that helped define this area as one of America’s premier growing regions. This Merlot was made from vines grown at Cecil’s Los Amigos Ranch, a vineyard in the Chalk Hill district of the Russian River Valley.
The Winemaking
Upon arriving from the vineyard, our Merlot is gently destemmed and crushed before being moved to the tank to begin fermentation. During this process, we carefully return fermenting wine onto its own “cap” of grape skins to extract all the color, flavors, and tannins. We then press the remaining skins, and the resulting wine is aged for approximately 20 months in a combination of 12 hand-selected American and European oak barrels.
Specs
Varietal Blend: 100% Merlot
Harvest Date: October 8-18, 2020
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.50
TA: .62
Aging: 20 months in French oak, 30% new
Cases Produced: 1200
Estate Bottled: September 1, 2022
Winemaker: Jason DeLoach
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2020 Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill
2x 2020 Hook & Ladder Merlot, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill Case:
6x 2020 Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill
6x 2020 Hook & Ladder Merlot, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill
Hook & Ladder Winery continues the legacy of one of Russian River Valley’s most influential wine families. Founded in 2003 by pioneering growers and vintners Cecil and Christine De Loach, and helmed today by their grandson, winemaker Jason De Loach, Hook & Ladder showcases the diversity of the appellation the family helped to define, in a portfolio of limited-production bottlings from their Russian River Valley estate vineyards. The name Hook & Ladder pays homage to Cecil De Loach’s 17-year career as a San Francisco firefighter.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
It’s fun getting a notice from UPS that they have a package for you that you haven’t ordered, and wondering what it might be. Then you notice the weight is 5 pounds, and you know it must be one of those nice surprises from Alice at Casemates. Sure enough, before long, an email from Alice arrives with the news that you’re a Labrat, containing the necessary details about release date, etc. The UPS Depot is close by, so off I went to pick up the package to find a bottle of 2020 Los Amigos Ranch Merlot from Hook & Ladder Vineyards. In this house, we have none of the negative feeling about Merlot that followed the movie Sideways and the well-known, and misplaced, hatred the idiot Miles held for this particular varietal, so we looked forward with great anticipation to the opportunity to give this one a try. The first pour showed a gorgeous ruby color, but not much on the nose. However, the first sip was of a nicely structured wine with smooth tannins and the dark spicy fruits we’re used to in a Merlot. A very enjoyable dinner wine. I guessed the price at around $20, so the price for this offer seems very reasonable, acknowledging that this is a mixed case. If the Cab is as nice as this, I’d say it’s a great deal.
@ddeuddeg
Miles didn’t hate Merlot. It reminded him of his ex-wife and her favorite wine Cheval Blanc which is a predominant Merlot based Bordeaux.
Which he drinks at the end of the movie. No wonder Merlot sales tanked
ddeuddeg received notification that he was an “Official Lab Rat.” Alice sent a 2020 Hook & Ladder Vineyards Chalk Hill Los Amigos Ranch Estate Bottled Merlot from Sonoma County. That’s a mouthful! I’m not sure that I even put everything in the proper order! Sorry!
We had a chance to taste this wine while dinner was cooking. This Merlot was a beautiful deep, ruby red color. Unfortunately, since the beginning of April, I have been dealing with sinus issues, and so, my nose is off. I really didn’t get anything pronounced on the nose. That being said, I couldn’t even smell the sauerkraut with mushrooms and onions that were baking with the pork chops in a large pot! However, my taste buds seem to be working rather ok. Not fantastic, but I am able to taste foods and get some tastes on wines.
I found this wine to be pleasant. It was dry, very fruity, with a bit of spice and had some good body. It worked very well with our dinner. Based on the winery price and the Casemates price, this wine is a deal.
If I was buying this would be one to jump in on. I’ve enjoyed their wine in the past and so long as they haven’t gone all fruit bomb on me this should be good stuff that needs couple years to come into balance.
Sorry for the abbreviated review but I need to get to the gym and I don’t want to wait since this one is so good.
I was pleased to get the notification that Casemates was sending us a bottle to Rat! It’s always a nice surprise to get that email, thanks Alice!
What arrived was a bottle of Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill. I put it in the wine cooler. More on the cooler in a bit.
Nice, narrow bottle and as always I like the simple labels. Composite cork with a nice dark purple stain on the end when I removed it.
On PNP, not much of a nose, just some minerals and perhaps a hint of cedar. It did open up with time and offered some hints of vanilla and berries later on.
This is a deep inky purple wine. You cannot see through it in the glass. I was wondering if the winemaker skipped filtering this one.
The first sip was delicious. Blueberry jam, some nice tannins, a hint of acidity and a great thick mouthfeel. Very balanced. As it opened up, it smoothed out a bit. I picked up a bit of a graphite taste later on which added another layer of flavor. I think the wine cooler wasn’t necessary for this one.
We loved this wine. I think it is more of a drink now than a wine to put down. At this case price, it’s a steal. Seems like the Merlot is also excellent.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Hook & Ladder Estate Bottled Mixed Reds - $45 = 21.42%
Visited their winery back in 2005, loved their merlot so much I brought it back in my carry-on case (doubt that’s possible anymore). Always happy to see them up here, and always happy with their wines. Time to use my $20 Meh coupon
@netcommsyn Did you buy a case yet? If not I would be willing to split. Just over the border in SO NH (greater Nashua area) I can buy if you would like me to, have free shipping with my membership. (sure everyone does!)
2020 Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill
Tasting Notes
The Winemaking
The Vineyards
Specs
2020 Hook & Ladder Merlot, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill
Tasting Notes
The Vineyards
The Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$540.00/Case for 6x 2020 Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill + 6x 2020 Hook & Ladder Merlot, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill at Hook & Ladder Vineyards and Winery
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, May 6 - Tuesday, May 7
Hook & Ladder Estate Bottled Mixed Reds
4 bottles for $69.99 $17.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $164.99 $13.75/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020 Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon
2020 Hook & Ladder Merlot
It’s fun getting a notice from UPS that they have a package for you that you haven’t ordered, and wondering what it might be. Then you notice the weight is 5 pounds, and you know it must be one of those nice surprises from Alice at Casemates. Sure enough, before long, an email from Alice arrives with the news that you’re a Labrat, containing the necessary details about release date, etc. The UPS Depot is close by, so off I went to pick up the package to find a bottle of 2020 Los Amigos Ranch Merlot from Hook & Ladder Vineyards. In this house, we have none of the negative feeling about Merlot that followed the movie Sideways and the well-known, and misplaced, hatred the idiot Miles held for this particular varietal, so we looked forward with great anticipation to the opportunity to give this one a try. The first pour showed a gorgeous ruby color, but not much on the nose. However, the first sip was of a nicely structured wine with smooth tannins and the dark spicy fruits we’re used to in a Merlot. A very enjoyable dinner wine. I guessed the price at around $20, so the price for this offer seems very reasonable, acknowledging that this is a mixed case. If the Cab is as nice as this, I’d say it’s a great deal.
@ddeuddeg
Miles didn’t hate Merlot. It reminded him of his ex-wife and her favorite wine Cheval Blanc which is a predominant Merlot based Bordeaux.
Which he drinks at the end of the movie. No wonder Merlot sales tanked
ddeuddeg received notification that he was an “Official Lab Rat.” Alice sent a 2020 Hook & Ladder Vineyards Chalk Hill Los Amigos Ranch Estate Bottled Merlot from Sonoma County. That’s a mouthful! I’m not sure that I even put everything in the proper order! Sorry!
We had a chance to taste this wine while dinner was cooking. This Merlot was a beautiful deep, ruby red color. Unfortunately, since the beginning of April, I have been dealing with sinus issues, and so, my nose is off. I really didn’t get anything pronounced on the nose. That being said, I couldn’t even smell the sauerkraut with mushrooms and onions that were baking with the pork chops in a large pot! However, my taste buds seem to be working rather ok. Not fantastic, but I am able to taste foods and get some tastes on wines.
I found this wine to be pleasant. It was dry, very fruity, with a bit of spice and had some good body. It worked very well with our dinner. Based on the winery price and the Casemates price, this wine is a deal.
If I was buying this would be one to jump in on. I’ve enjoyed their wine in the past and so long as they haven’t gone all fruit bomb on me this should be good stuff that needs couple years to come into balance.
@klezman Definitely not “all fruit bomb.” This is a properly restrained, classic Merlot.
TL;DR: This Cab is delicious!
Sorry for the abbreviated review but I need to get to the gym and I don’t want to wait since this one is so good.
I was pleased to get the notification that Casemates was sending us a bottle to Rat! It’s always a nice surprise to get that email, thanks Alice!
What arrived was a bottle of Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Bottled, Los Amigos Ranch, Chalk Hill. I put it in the wine cooler. More on the cooler in a bit.
Nice, narrow bottle and as always I like the simple labels. Composite cork with a nice dark purple stain on the end when I removed it.
On PNP, not much of a nose, just some minerals and perhaps a hint of cedar. It did open up with time and offered some hints of vanilla and berries later on.
This is a deep inky purple wine. You cannot see through it in the glass. I was wondering if the winemaker skipped filtering this one.
The first sip was delicious. Blueberry jam, some nice tannins, a hint of acidity and a great thick mouthfeel. Very balanced. As it opened up, it smoothed out a bit. I picked up a bit of a graphite taste later on which added another layer of flavor. I think the wine cooler wasn’t necessary for this one.
We loved this wine. I think it is more of a drink now than a wine to put down. At this case price, it’s a steal. Seems like the Merlot is also excellent.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Hook & Ladder Estate Bottled Mixed Reds - $45 = 21.42%
Visited their winery back in 2005, loved their merlot so much I brought it back in my carry-on case (doubt that’s possible anymore). Always happy to see them up here, and always happy with their wines. Time to use my $20 Meh coupon
In for a case - disrespectful-uber-artichoke
CMH split? Anyone
@Smoothie72 I’m in ohio where are you?
Yup.
/giphy informally-grainy-drake
Willing case split/divide’ SO NH/BOS area.
@netcommsyn Did you buy a case yet? If not I would be willing to split. Just over the border in SO NH (greater Nashua area) I can buy if you would like me to, have free shipping with my membership. (sure everyone does!)
@outdoorslife Hi.
I did purchase. I am in Nashua, Salem or Newton MA. Also have free shipping. 6036824739
Jon
Anyone interested in a split near Indy?
ya got me.
/giphy guided-generic-carbon