In searching for a name for her red dessert wine, Tracey Hawkins turned to her equestrian roots — and a little semantic ingenuity.
The 2009 Latigo from Hawk and Horse Vineyards resembles a Ruby Port, with hints of Tawny flavors lurking in nearby shadows. Of course, no American wine produced after a trade agreement with Portugal clamping down on casual use of language can be labeled “Port.”
So Hawkins chose Latigo, a Spanish word referring to a leather strap dangling from western saddles used as a cinch.
The strap, she explains, generally hangs from the left side of the saddle. In other words, the port side.
If the etymology of the Hawk and Horse Port-style wine seems clever, what’s inside the bottle is equally articulate.
A compelling aura similar to a box of chocolate candies filled with cherry liqueur ascends from the glass, surrounding it and filling your mind with anticipation. Within the sensation flit hints of rich stewed fruit, a bitter pinch, roses on the vine and something elusive, almost medicinal.
Just a touch of “green” is the mark of a standout Cabernet Sauvignon — the varietal Hawkins employed for her Latigo.
“I love Port,” she explained. “I felt we could push the Cabernet Sauvignon to get it there.”
Hawkins pushed it to a point where black cherries and dark plums begin to dry, picking up the first whisper of earthy, raisin savor. Dark chocolate — both cordial and seductive — follows on the palate, complemented by intense candied cherry. That distant herbaceous impression on the nose is subsumed under a wealth of beautiful flavors.
Although picked at close to 30 brix, with residual sugars in the double digits, the Latigo feels more luxurious than sweet. And there is a charming essence on the finish, reminiscent of rose petals.
It’s a gorgeous repast.
To create her Latigo, Hawkins ferments the Cabernet in stainless steel to allow for a stronger expression of the varietal. It winds up in French oak only after fortified with Alembic, an oak aged brandy from Mendocino County. Hawkins then rests the wine in barrels for two years.
Because of the varietal’s sturdy nature on the vine, Hawkins is able to harvest late.
“I’m able to leave that fruit out as long as I want,” she said.
This level of control means the 2009 Latigo measures up very well to the 2010 — a Best of Class winner at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition — and most other vintages.
“The 2009 is richer, the 2010 more aromatic — more feminine, but still with intense fruit,” Hawkins explained. “I’m drinking the 2006. This wine is good for 100 years.”
Certainly so, but a Port-style wine this enticing will be difficult to keep on the shelf.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
