The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Jack’s Masterpiece brings together many of the elements that make the Hall wines so appealing. Well-articulated aromatics meld into a seamless core of fruit in this vibrant, expressive Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine possesses terrific delineation and plenty of class. Despite its ripeness there is plenty of underlying structure. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2024. This is a thrilling set of wines from Hall. The estate favors a rich, extroverted style, yet all of these wines have distinct personalities and tons of sheer character. Meticulous viticulture followed by native yeast fermentations, slow, natural malos and minimal rackings are at the heart of the approach at Hall. The wines are aged in French oak (mostly Taransaud, 40-90% new) and are bottled with no fining or filtration. Readers who appreciate the more opulent side of Napa Valley will find much to admire here. Simply put, I was blown away by what I tasted. As outstanding as the 2009s are, there is a very good chance the 2010s will turn out to be even better.Tel. (707) 967-2626

Somewhat restrained, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Jack’s Masterpiece has a touch of Petite Verdot and Merlot in the blend. It displays a dense purple color and plenty of smoky notes intermixed with scorched earth, espresso roast, chocolate, and black currant. In the back, the tannins kick in, so this wine needs a few years of cellaring, but should keep for two decades.All of these wines are made by winemaking consultant David Ramey. I looked at some 2009 cuvees , the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Ellie’s, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Jack’s Masterpiece, and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Bergfeld. All of these wines should score between 90 and 95 points as they all have deep colors, beautiful pure fruit, the vintage’s tell-tale front-end loaded sweetness, balance and elegance as well as good freshness and depth. My favorites include the Diamond Mountain, Ellie’s, and Jack’s Masterpiece, with the latter being the most tannic along with the Bergfeld. All of these should be top-notch Cabernet Sauvignons that will last 20-25 years. If you haven’t jumped on the Hall bandwagon, it has been loaded with goodies for the last 3-4 years.Tel. (707) 967-2626; Fax (707) 967-2639

Solidly in the Hall style of voluptuous, stylish Cabernets, rich in fruit and softly sweet. With a flood of blackberries, cassis and chocolate, it’s intricately structured with finely ground tannins that give a sting of astringency. Probably best consumed soon with rich beef dishes. ——S.H.(11/1/2011)—— 90

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Jack’s Masterpiece exhibits copious amounts of sweet creme de cassis fruit intermixed with notions of chocolate-covered cherries, licorice, and flowers. This dense, full-bodied, multilayered wine possesses terrific fruit, ripe tannin, and an opulent, voluptuous finish. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 15-20 years. Hall Winery appears to have turned things around in a very dramatic and positive fashion. The 2006 turn around vintage, the strength of the 2007s, and the impressive 2008 barrel samples have convinced me that this is definitely another serious player in Napa Valley. David Ramey is the winemaking consultant at Hall. There are four separate bottlings of 2006 Cabernet Sauvignons. To reiterate, I tasted the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Segassia, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Exzellenz, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Bergfeld, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Jack’s Masterpiece, and a new offering, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Kathryn Hall, all meriting potential ratings between 90 and 94 points. Readers should be giving Hall Winery serious attention.Tel. (707) 967-2626; Fax (707) 967-2639