winery

Hourglass Winery

Napa Valley, United States

Philosophy

Precision-driven Cabernet and Bordeaux blends emphasizing terroir expression through stressed, mineral-rich soils. Winemaker Tony Biagi synthesizes classical structure with modern technique, balancing richness against acidity and minerality to achieve wines with silky texture, dark fruit depth, and extended aging potential.

Reputation

Hourglass Winery emerged from the vision of Ned Smith, who claimed a remote six-acre parcel north of St. Helena in 1976, recognizing the valley's geological singularity: a narrowing between the Mayacamas and Vaca ranges that concentrates afternoon cooling breezes and yields depleted, mineral-rich Hambright soils. His son Jeff replanted the property to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1992 following phylloxera, producing a first vintage in 1997 that gained cult renown within years.

AllocationDate conflict: sources vary between 1997 (official winery narrative and most reputable wine databases) and 1998 (BuyWinesOnline and one third-party retailer). Used 1997 as primary. No organic, biodynamic, or sustainable certifications found despite extensive search. Farming practice listed as conventional as no certification claims apparent in sources. Vineyard acreage verified as ~4 hectares (Hourglass) + ~8 hectares (Blueline) = ~9.7 hectares total. Production volume: 3,500–4,000 cases/year per mailing sources converts to ~42,000–48,000 bottles; used 42,000 as conservative midpoint. No dedicated US importer identified; winery sells primarily direct-to-consumer via mailing list. Winemaker succession: Bob Foley (1997–2012), Tony Biagi (2012–present). 2020 Glass Fire destroyed winery buildings at Blueline estate but vines largely spared; recovery ongoing. Very limited third-party importer/distributor data; distributor page on website shows only partial list (Arizona, Arkansas entries visible). Monsieur Touton Selection (UK) appears to be importer for UK/Europe based on producer listing, but not explicitly confirmed by producer website. Cross-producer parallels validated by proximity and style alignment. Pairing prose based on wine profiles and terroir characteristics from official sources; not explicitly food-pairing claims from winery.

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