2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, 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, cardamom, finishing with silky tannins and powdered cocoa.
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 Cabernet Sauvignon is gently destemmed and crushed before being moved to 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.
Specs
Harvest Date: September 18, 2021
Estate Bottled: September 1, 2022
Aging: 20 months in French & American Oak, 30% new
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.45
TA: .66
Cases Produced: 3720
Winemaker: Jason De Loach
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, 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 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
Harvest Date: October 8-18, 2021
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.50
TA: .62
Estate Bottled: September 1, 2023
Aging: 20 months in French oak, 30% new
Cases Produced: 1200
Winemaker: Jason De Loach
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, Chalk Hill
2x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
Case:
6x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, Chalk Hill
6x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
Hook & Ladder Winery continues the legacy of one of the 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, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
We got the email from Alice – always a thrill to see that subject line: “Wine is Coming Your Way!”
This time, it was a varietal we know and love – Merlot – but from a producer and vineyard that were new to us:
Hook & Ladder’s 2021 Los Amigos Ranch Estate Bottled Merlot from Chalk Hill
As it turns out, our four-year-old had already planned our Saturday night dinner (as one does): parmesan crusted chicken, penne with marinara, and breadsticks. We figured this would be a solid pairing for a bold red – and we were right.
Upon opening, we noticed a beautiful ruby red on the cork, and a deep purple hue in the glass. The nose was immediately warm and inviting – fruity with some soft spice.
We picked up bright red fruit – think raspberries – along with a nice touch of acidity and oak. That oak influence makes sense considering this wine spends about 18 months in 20 hand-selected American and European oak barrels. It’s smooth but structured, with just enough grip to stand up to a hearty pasta dish.
We re-corked what was left and came back to it the next evening, pairing it with Hoisin glazed pork, scallion rice, and ponzu roasted green beans.
(And no, in case you’re wondering – our four-year-old did not plan this meal. That would’ve been a culinary plot twist.)
We let the bottle breathe for about 20 minutes before dinner, and wow – it opened up beautifully.
Night two brought deeper notes of dark chocolate and oak, along with a slightly spiced red fruit finish that balanced perfectly with the sweet-savory glaze on the pork. The wine really shined in this pairing – we’d absolutely do that one again.
One fun surprise – while reading the back of the bottle, we noticed the name “Hook & Ladder.” As a firefighter myself, that caught my eye. A quick search revealed that the winery was founded by Cecil De Loach, a former San Francisco firefighter, and that their tasting room is festooned with fire station t-shirts from firefighters visiting from all over the world. Very cool.
This Merlot was phenomenal. We’ll definitely be ordering more, and we’re excited to try more of what Hook & Ladder has to offer. If you’re looking for a smooth, flavorful Merlot that’s versatile with food and rich with character, this one’s a winner.
Thanks again to Alice and the Casemates team for letting us Lab Rat this bottle – looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Hook & Ladder Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon - $40 = 20.51%
I’m always grateful for the chance to try something I haven’t had before, and when the price tag of doing so is free (or a bit of my time) that’s all the sweeter. So on Thursday evening when I got the UPS shipping notification followed by Alice’s email, I was set to go. Once the brown truck rolled around, I found that I’d received a bottle of the 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill which I set to rest from its nearly cross-country journey as I walked out the door for dinner and a showing of Funny Girl.
Upon opening the wine, I noted around 1.5-2mm of darkly stained cork and a faint whiff of vanilla. Pouring in the glass, the wine was found to be richly colored in dark garnet, without any notable particulate. A gentle swirl on the glass didn’t release any notable aromas, but a more spirited agitation elicited some response with strong cherries and something herbal I couldn’t quite nail down.
On initial taste, I was shocked to find this tasting like a viscous sweet cherry cola. (I don’t mean to say a Cherry Coke or anything as bland and fake as that, but something more intensely strong of dark sweet cherries like BJ’s or Fentiman’s.) My tasting partner–who had been after me to get to it–didn’t even note the cola part, only the cherry, and the barely touched glass was pushed back to me.
While the sweetness of the cherry flavor mellowed as the wine had more time in glass, the overall flavor of cherry cola remained, and around 4 hours into the process I picked up more herbal notes, now in flavor and not as much in aroma. It bothered me that I couldn’t pick it out, so I made my way to the spice rack and started sniffing around for the earthy green flavor with sweetness and maybe some woodiness. I started with rosemary (mostly because it was in front) and that wasn’t quite right, but also not too far off… no, not basil or oregano… oh, but sage? Maybe, but this is dried, so maybe if it were fresh. Not entirely satisfied with that answer, it was time to try it with foods. So far, I was describing this wine as intensely singular in flavor, and not one I would likely reach for on any given day.
Leftover smoked pork on one plate, and the last of ground beef turned to hamburger on the other, the wine took on a different personality. While I typically prefer my smoked pork naked, my better half loves sauces and thusly it was plated; alongside the fairly sweet BBQ (no vinegar), the wine didn’t feel as monolithic, and stood alongside those flavors pretty well, teasing out some of the black pepper from the sauce, and adding hints of anise. With the hamburger (topped with sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese), the fattiness of the meat seemed to open up the wine in a different way with the sweetness of the cherries turned into a darker, more subdued version of themselves that also had some of the woody stem hints (in a good way). Okay, the wine needed food, at least for us.
Later in the evening, I found that the wine hadn’t changed much over its roughly eight hours of being open. Yes, the initial shock of candy-like sweetness had tempered into a more natural fruit sweetness, but it still reminded me mostly of a rich cherry cola, but served to me at an upscale joint that hand makes it, and garnishes it with fresh herbs and a pinstriped straw. I’ve got a glass or so left in the bottle I’ll try again this evening to see if things changed very much, and if so I’ll report back. (Oh look, some leftover chili is on the menu for later!)
Down the to the question of is this for me? Well, that depends; I prefer to contemplate my wines on their own, over conversation or watching the clouds go by. I have friends I would serve this to and they’d lap it up, especially if I served it alongside a richly flavored dinner, or in a setting such as board games as it’s easy enough to drink. Yeah, I could see having this around; like any tool, knowing how to use it correctly makes it most effective.
Thanks to Hook & Ladder, WCC/Alice, and my favorite UPS guy for making this hookup happen.
Hook & Ladder 2021 Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
I saw the notice in the UPS app a few hours before the e-mail from Alice arrived in my inbox that a rat bottle was showing up. Let the anticipation begin. I received the Hook & Ladder 2021 Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
I let the bottle stand until dinner Saturday. I popped the composite cork and was met with dark fruit aromas from inside the bottle. I poured a small taste in a Casemates glass for the photo and took a whiff. Dark cherries, blackberries and some mocha/chocolate notes, typical Cab Sauv notes. An inviting aroma pulled me in for a first sip. I was expecting to be hit with some big tannins but the mouthfeel was very smooth. I looked at the label to see if there was any indication of blending but found nothing at all. I suspect there is some other grapes in the mix; Merlot would fit seeing the current offer.
Dinner was shish kabobs; chicken planned but with the wine I pulled a Flannery Hanger from the freezer for a better pairing. The wine accompanied the meal very well, but the wine did not need food. It was very easy to drink and enjoyable. I started thinking about if this was a buy and hit the website - the Cab Franc could also be in the blend based on the tastes. My wife said that she found something unpleasant on the finish that I did not get. I put a stopper in the bottle to leave some for a second night.
I had a glass Sunday and found the wine very similar but a little flatter on the finish. I did get some wood notes but they were very slight, not harsh oak but maybe cedar. The wine remained smooth and easy to drink. I still did not pick up a lot of heavy typical Cabernet Sauvignon notes but the wine remained very easy to drink. It did pair well with some dark chocolate as well. I had my wife taste again as I wanted to be ready if the deal was attractive enough - see noted that the same finish was not there and spent more time than is typical for her smelling her glass trying to identify a scent. The best she came back with was Pine-sol. She did say she enjoyed it more on night 2. Seeing the case price I think it is a great offer, especially with the Merlot split. I do have a small pour left for tonight and will post an update.
I think this wine fits in the crowd pleaser, easy drinking and tasty but not overly complex category.
Hook and Ladder was one of my first wine woots, all the way back in 2011. Really were good wines and I went to the tasting room at least once and enjoyed the rest of their wines.
I brought out a bottle of their 2020 Cabernet last night and it was very delicious-can’t wait to finish it up tonight and of course ordered a case of the 2021 cabernet and Merlot.
We picked up Hook and Ladder Merlot/Cab combo the last time it showed up, having first tried and liked one of their wines at our local Italian restaurant. Both stood their own with a fine meal and were easy every-day drinkers. If we weren’t already overstocked, I’d automatically be in for a case!
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
Tasting notes
The Vineyards
The Winemaking
Specs
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, Chalk Hill
Tasting Notes
The Vineyards
The Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$492.00/Case for 6x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, Chalk Hill + 6x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill at Hook & Ladder Vineyards and Winery
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 21 - Thursday, Apr 24
Hook & Ladder Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon
4 bottles for $64.99 $16.25/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $154.99 $12.92/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
We got the email from Alice – always a thrill to see that subject line: “Wine is Coming Your Way!”
This time, it was a varietal we know and love – Merlot – but from a producer and vineyard that were new to us:
Hook & Ladder’s 2021 Los Amigos Ranch Estate Bottled Merlot from Chalk Hill
As it turns out, our four-year-old had already planned our Saturday night dinner (as one does): parmesan crusted chicken, penne with marinara, and breadsticks. We figured this would be a solid pairing for a bold red – and we were right.
Upon opening, we noticed a beautiful ruby red on the cork, and a deep purple hue in the glass. The nose was immediately warm and inviting – fruity with some soft spice.
We picked up bright red fruit – think raspberries – along with a nice touch of acidity and oak. That oak influence makes sense considering this wine spends about 18 months in 20 hand-selected American and European oak barrels. It’s smooth but structured, with just enough grip to stand up to a hearty pasta dish.
We re-corked what was left and came back to it the next evening, pairing it with Hoisin glazed pork, scallion rice, and ponzu roasted green beans.
(And no, in case you’re wondering – our four-year-old did not plan this meal. That would’ve been a culinary plot twist.)
We let the bottle breathe for about 20 minutes before dinner, and wow – it opened up beautifully.
Night two brought deeper notes of dark chocolate and oak, along with a slightly spiced red fruit finish that balanced perfectly with the sweet-savory glaze on the pork. The wine really shined in this pairing – we’d absolutely do that one again.
One fun surprise – while reading the back of the bottle, we noticed the name “Hook & Ladder.” As a firefighter myself, that caught my eye. A quick search revealed that the winery was founded by Cecil De Loach, a former San Francisco firefighter, and that their tasting room is festooned with fire station t-shirts from firefighters visiting from all over the world. Very cool.
This Merlot was phenomenal. We’ll definitely be ordering more, and we’re excited to try more of what Hook & Ladder has to offer. If you’re looking for a smooth, flavorful Merlot that’s versatile with food and rich with character, this one’s a winner.
Thanks again to Alice and the Casemates team for letting us Lab Rat this bottle – looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Hook & Ladder Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon - $40 = 20.51%
Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
I’m always grateful for the chance to try something I haven’t had before, and when the price tag of doing so is free (or a bit of my time) that’s all the sweeter. So on Thursday evening when I got the UPS shipping notification followed by Alice’s email, I was set to go. Once the brown truck rolled around, I found that I’d received a bottle of the 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill which I set to rest from its nearly cross-country journey as I walked out the door for dinner and a showing of Funny Girl.
Upon opening the wine, I noted around 1.5-2mm of darkly stained cork and a faint whiff of vanilla. Pouring in the glass, the wine was found to be richly colored in dark garnet, without any notable particulate. A gentle swirl on the glass didn’t release any notable aromas, but a more spirited agitation elicited some response with strong cherries and something herbal I couldn’t quite nail down.
On initial taste, I was shocked to find this tasting like a viscous sweet cherry cola. (I don’t mean to say a Cherry Coke or anything as bland and fake as that, but something more intensely strong of dark sweet cherries like BJ’s or Fentiman’s.) My tasting partner–who had been after me to get to it–didn’t even note the cola part, only the cherry, and the barely touched glass was pushed back to me.
While the sweetness of the cherry flavor mellowed as the wine had more time in glass, the overall flavor of cherry cola remained, and around 4 hours into the process I picked up more herbal notes, now in flavor and not as much in aroma. It bothered me that I couldn’t pick it out, so I made my way to the spice rack and started sniffing around for the earthy green flavor with sweetness and maybe some woodiness. I started with rosemary (mostly because it was in front) and that wasn’t quite right, but also not too far off… no, not basil or oregano… oh, but sage? Maybe, but this is dried, so maybe if it were fresh. Not entirely satisfied with that answer, it was time to try it with foods. So far, I was describing this wine as intensely singular in flavor, and not one I would likely reach for on any given day.
Leftover smoked pork on one plate, and the last of ground beef turned to hamburger on the other, the wine took on a different personality. While I typically prefer my smoked pork naked, my better half loves sauces and thusly it was plated; alongside the fairly sweet BBQ (no vinegar), the wine didn’t feel as monolithic, and stood alongside those flavors pretty well, teasing out some of the black pepper from the sauce, and adding hints of anise. With the hamburger (topped with sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese), the fattiness of the meat seemed to open up the wine in a different way with the sweetness of the cherries turned into a darker, more subdued version of themselves that also had some of the woody stem hints (in a good way). Okay, the wine needed food, at least for us.
Later in the evening, I found that the wine hadn’t changed much over its roughly eight hours of being open. Yes, the initial shock of candy-like sweetness had tempered into a more natural fruit sweetness, but it still reminded me mostly of a rich cherry cola, but served to me at an upscale joint that hand makes it, and garnishes it with fresh herbs and a pinstriped straw. I’ve got a glass or so left in the bottle I’ll try again this evening to see if things changed very much, and if so I’ll report back. (Oh look, some leftover chili is on the menu for later!)
Down the to the question of is this for me? Well, that depends; I prefer to contemplate my wines on their own, over conversation or watching the clouds go by. I have friends I would serve this to and they’d lap it up, especially if I served it alongside a richly flavored dinner, or in a setting such as board games as it’s easy enough to drink. Yeah, I could see having this around; like any tool, knowing how to use it correctly makes it most effective.
Thanks to Hook & Ladder, WCC/Alice, and my favorite UPS guy for making this hookup happen.
Hook & Ladder 2021 Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
I saw the notice in the UPS app a few hours before the e-mail from Alice arrived in my inbox that a rat bottle was showing up. Let the anticipation begin. I received the Hook & Ladder 2021 Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
I let the bottle stand until dinner Saturday. I popped the composite cork and was met with dark fruit aromas from inside the bottle. I poured a small taste in a Casemates glass for the photo and took a whiff. Dark cherries, blackberries and some mocha/chocolate notes, typical Cab Sauv notes. An inviting aroma pulled me in for a first sip. I was expecting to be hit with some big tannins but the mouthfeel was very smooth. I looked at the label to see if there was any indication of blending but found nothing at all. I suspect there is some other grapes in the mix; Merlot would fit seeing the current offer.
Dinner was shish kabobs; chicken planned but with the wine I pulled a Flannery Hanger from the freezer for a better pairing. The wine accompanied the meal very well, but the wine did not need food. It was very easy to drink and enjoyable. I started thinking about if this was a buy and hit the website - the Cab Franc could also be in the blend based on the tastes. My wife said that she found something unpleasant on the finish that I did not get. I put a stopper in the bottle to leave some for a second night.
I had a glass Sunday and found the wine very similar but a little flatter on the finish. I did get some wood notes but they were very slight, not harsh oak but maybe cedar. The wine remained smooth and easy to drink. I still did not pick up a lot of heavy typical Cabernet Sauvignon notes but the wine remained very easy to drink. It did pair well with some dark chocolate as well. I had my wife taste again as I wanted to be ready if the deal was attractive enough - see noted that the same finish was not there and spent more time than is typical for her smelling her glass trying to identify a scent. The best she came back with was Pine-sol. She did say she enjoyed it more on night 2. Seeing the case price I think it is a great offer, especially with the Merlot split. I do have a small pour left for tonight and will post an update.
I think this wine fits in the crowd pleaser, easy drinking and tasty but not overly complex category.
The 2020 version of these two wines was offerred on 4/15/2024. This offering is $5/$15 less.
Hook and Ladder was one of my first wine woots, all the way back in 2011. Really were good wines and I went to the tasting room at least once and enjoyed the rest of their wines.
I brought out a bottle of their 2020 Cabernet last night and it was very delicious-can’t wait to finish it up tonight and of course ordered a case of the 2021 cabernet and Merlot.
We picked up Hook and Ladder Merlot/Cab combo the last time it showed up, having first tried and liked one of their wines at our local Italian restaurant. Both stood their own with a fine meal and were easy every-day drinkers. If we weren’t already overstocked, I’d automatically be in for a case!