2013 Hamel Wines Proprietary Red Nuns Canyon Vineyard Moon Mountain District Sonoma 750 ml

As far as single-vineyard California wines go, the Wine Advocate 96-point 2013 Hamel Family Wines Nuns Canyon Proprietary Red is unquestionably among the best in class—if not right at the top. Today, I’m excited to share our first-ever allocation of a Hamel Family Wines release, and thrilled that it’s their Proprietary Red—a Cabernet-based beauty that contributed to Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate announcing: “If you haven’t discovered Hamel...they merit serious attention from wine consumers.”

Most of Hamel’s tiny production goes directly to their mailing list, but we managed to secure a handful of bottles for the Wine Access faithful. 

Combining highly sought-after mountain fruit from the Moon Mountain AVA (a source for Turley and Louis Martini's top bottlings) with the unmatched skill of Martha McClellan (also the winemaker for Checkerboard and Vineyard 7&8) you simply don’t get this level of excellence in most California wines.

And it shows in the glass. From robes of deep purple with dark ruby hues, the aromas just lift up, revealing ripe and exotic blueberry, blackberry, fresh flowers, spearmint, Moroccan spices, clove, and tilled earth, all of it arriving in impressive waves. Full-bodied, the tannins display a supple grip, transporting black currant and cherry fruit through complex iterations of savory and sweet spices, and a fresh herbal complexity that lingers on the palate.

When I met George Hamel III for lunch at Compline in downtown Napa, I’d already read Parker’s praise for his wines, and was ready for a serious tasting. But Hamel led with a joke that belied the serious complexity of the wine he was about to pour, instantly joking: "Hope you'll remember the winery dumb enough to put a badger on the label.”

I won’t forget the Badger, but let me cut to the chase—it doesn’t matter what’s on their label because wine like this is meant for the cellar. It’s elegant, opulent, and multilayered, and absolutely the kind of Cabernet that collectors of all stripes owe themselves to buy whenever they can find it. No expense has been spared, and McClellan’s “limitless talent” and “perfectionist, nearly obsessive attitude toward making world-class wines,” as Parker has written, takes full advantage of the fruit sources, not to mention a cellar that is a winemaker’s paradise.

George III’s family’s roots lie in Madison, Wisconsin, and their pride as alumni of the University of Wisconsin explains the family's fascination with the Badger that adorns the label. Though, serendipitously, upon moving to Sonoma to pursue their dream of opening a winery, they discovered that badgers are native to the area, and actually live in their vineyards. You have to appreciate a good sense of humor in wine, which can border on too serious.

All kidding aside, this is serious wine. Tasting wine after wine over burgers, I was impressed with the entire portfolio, but kept coming back to the Nuns Canyon Proprietary Red which balances power and elegance in a way that only the world’s best wines manage to achieve.

Equally impressive is the team behind these bottles: Internationally recognized soil expert Pedro Parra examined their soils before planting; they hired Phil Coturri, one of Northern California's most brilliant farmers; then they allowed Martha McClellan to run wild in a 12,000-square-foot winery, replete with optical sorting, concrete and stainless fermenters, and fine French oak for miles.

You might have a better shot at being asked to play for the Wisconsin Badgers than you have at securing any of this 96-point Hamel single-site Nuns Canyon Vineyard Cabernet blend. So, depending on your love of the game versus your love of wine, I’ll let you take your chances.