Hourglass

The Smith family moved from San Francisco to Napa Valley in 1964, where Ned Smith became one of the valley's early real estate brokers and developed the Wine Country Inn just off Lodi Lane in St. Helena. In 1976 Ned purchased the six-acre parcel adjoining his property; after a failed orchard attempt, 4 acres were planted to Zinfandel, with the fruit sold to Caymus Winery through 1990. After Ned's death in the early 1990s and following a phylloxera epidemic that wiped out the Zinfandel, the Smith family considered selling the land. Son Jeff Smith, then in management at Skyy Vodka in San Francisco, intervened, returned to St. Helena, and replanted the site to Cabernet Sauvignon after consulting with Mark Kliewer (dean of viticulture at UC Davis). Jeff named the new project Hourglass for the figure-eight constriction at the narrow center of Napa Valley nearby, and produced the first vintage in 1997 with Bob Foley as winemaker. Tony Biagi joined as winemaker in 2012, taking over from Foley and building the site-driven precision that has come to define the estate.

• Smith family moved to Napa Valley in 1964; Ned Smith became one of the valley's early real estate brokers and built the Wine Country Inn off Lodi Lane
• Original six-acre parcel acquired by Ned in 1976; four acres planted to Zinfandel (sold to Caymus through 1990)
• Replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon in the early 1990s by Jeff Smith after Ned's death and a phylloxera epidemic; first Hourglass vintage 1997
• Bob Foley served as founding winemaker from the 1997 first vintage; Tony Biagi joined in 2012 and shaped the estate's site-driven stylistic identity

The original Hourglass vineyard sits on Lodi Lane in St. Helena, about two miles north of town. The site occupies the narrow crossing of the valley where the Mayacamas and Vaca ranges nearly pinch together to form the hourglass shape that gives the estate its name. Soils on the original site are Hambright fractured bedrock: intensely mineral, low-vigor, and ideal for concentrated, structured Cabernet. The Blueline Estate vineyard, acquired in 2006, sits south of Calistoga in Dutch Henry Canyon along the Silverado Trail, adjacent to neighbors that include Switchback Ridge and Duckhorn's Three Palms Vineyard. Blueline's soils are Cortina river wash on the valley floor with decomposed volcanic ash on elevated benches, low in water-holding capacity and lean in nutrients. The two-site portfolio gives Hourglass a transparent comparison of two distinct Napa terroir expressions within Cabernet Sauvignon: the fractured-bedrock intensity of the Lodi Lane site against the alluvial-and-volcanic mineral signature of the Blueline property.

• Original Estate site: Lodi Lane, St. Helena, two miles north of town, at the narrow crossing of Napa Valley between the Mayacamas and Vaca ranges; Hambright fractured-bedrock soils
• Blueline Estate (acquired 2006): Dutch Henry Canyon south of Calistoga along the Silverado Trail; 20 planted acres on 40 acres of land
• Blueline soils: Cortina river wash on the valley floor with decomposed volcanic ash on elevated benches, low water-holding capacity and low nutrients
• Two-site estate model produces transparent comparison of two distinct Napa terroir expressions within Cabernet Sauvignon

Hourglass produces a focused portfolio anchored by two flagship Cabernet Sauvignons: the original Estate Cabernet from the Lodi Lane site on Hambright fractured bedrock and the Blueline Estate Cabernet from the Calistoga-area property on Cortina river wash and decomposed volcanic ash. Both are typically 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 22 to 24 months in approximately 100 percent new French oak, and bottled with minimal intervention. The HG III Bordeaux blend serves as a more accessible second label combining estate and sourced fruit. The estate's stylistic identity emphasizes precision and site transparency over either oak heaviness or fruit extraction, producing wines that contrast the polished, classic Napa Cabernet character of the Lodi Lane Estate against the more savory, mineral-driven, firmer-tannin signature of Blueline.

• Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: 100 percent Cabernet from the original Lodi Lane site; 22 to 24 months in approximately 100 percent new French oak
• Blueline Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: 100 percent Cabernet from the Calistoga-area volcanic-influenced site; firmer tannin, more savory aromatic profile
• HG III Bordeaux Blend: second label combining estate and sourced fruit at an accessible price tier
• Stylistic emphasis on precision and site transparency over oak heaviness or fruit extraction

Hourglass has accumulated consistent critical scores in the mid-to-high 90s from major reviewers including Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnuck, Vinous, and Wine Spectator across the 2000s and 2010s, often distinguishing the Estate and Blueline as offering meaningfully different but equally compelling profiles of Napa Valley Cabernet. The wines are sold primarily through the estate mailing list with a strict allocation model, supplemented by limited fine-dining distribution. Pricing positions Hourglass in the upper-premium tier alongside other Napa boutique Cabernet specialists, with Estate and Blueline releases typically retailing in the $200 to $300 range and the more accessible HG III at $80 to $120.

• Consistent 95-plus scores from Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnuck, Vinous, and Wine Spectator across two decades
• Critical praise often highlights the contrast between Estate (polished classic Napa) and Blueline (volcanic-influenced savory) as a transparent site study
• Strict allocation model through the mailing list
• Current Estate and Blueline retail $200 to $300; HG III Bordeaux blend retails $80 to $120

Hourglass occupies a distinct corner of the modern Napa scene as a small, family-run estate whose entire portfolio reads as a site comparison: the Lodi Lane Estate on Hambright fractured bedrock against the Blueline Estate on Cortina river wash and decomposed volcanic ash. The Smith family's narrative (Ned acquiring the original land in 1976, son Jeff replanting and launching Hourglass with the 1997 vintage under Bob Foley, then Tony Biagi taking over in 2012) gives the project a multigenerational identity that aligns with the broader St. Helena tradition of small family Cabernet houses. Allocation-only distribution and a tightly held mailing-list model keep production in the same quiet, collector-driven channel as other Napa boutique Cabernet specialists.

• Site-transparent two-vineyard estate: Lodi Lane on Hambright fractured bedrock against Blueline near Calistoga on Cortina river wash and decomposed volcanic ash
• Multigenerational Smith family narrative: Ned's mid-1970s land acquisition, Jeff's 1997 launch of Hourglass under Bob Foley, Tony Biagi taking over in 2012
• Allocation-only mailing-list model and limited fine-dining distribution
• Anchored in the St. Helena tradition of small family-run boutique Cabernet houses