Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme in Napa Valley, and with more than 450 wineries in the region producing it, you might wonder if the world needs another. When that Cabernet comes from Hall, the answer is a confident yes.
Kathryn and Craig Hall have established two distinctive wineries in Napa Valley — one in St. Helena, opened in 2003, and another in Rutherford, opened in 2005. Both properties combine modern winemaking technology with a strong commitment to organic farming. The Halls focus on limited production, natural yeast fermentation, and avoid fining or filtering their wines. They farm 500 acres of vineyards, with roughly 55 percent planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and another 20 percent to other Bordeaux varieties.
That careful, hands-on approach yields lean, well-balanced wines. From their Artisan Collection, the Bergfeld Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (about $100) offers rich, deep fruit aromas that carry through to an intense palate, velvety texture and a long, satisfying finish.
Also in the Artisan Collection, Jack’s Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (around $90) is a 94 percent Cabernet blend with Merlot and Malbec. It presents an elegant, structured profile with notes of plum, dark berries and a touch of licorice. The eye-catching label, reminiscent of a Jackson Pollock painting, has a personal backstory: it was created by Jack, son of company president Mike Reynolds, as a Father’s Day gift when he was 18 months old. When choosing a label, Reynolds selected that painting, and it inspired the wine’s name.
The flagship of the Halls’ Napa Valley Collection is Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2008 vintage (about $90) is dark, concentrated and rich, offering layered flavors that range from chocolate to coffee, and a dense structure that reflects careful vineyard selection and winemaking.
The Napa Valley Collection also includes an outstanding Sauvignon Blanc. The 2010 bottling (approximately $23) shows textbook characteristics of the variety: bright, balanced acidity, lively grapefruit and citrus notes, and a crisp mineral finish. It ranks among the stronger California expressions of the grape. The Collection further offers a well-crafted, good-value Cabernet Sauvignon; the 2007 sold out quickly, but the 2008 vintage (around $48) is available on the market.