A taste of artistry. A reflection of terroir. Dancing Hares is an expression of great terroir at the base of Napa's Howell Mountain, producing wines that refelct the character of our rich and diverse landscape.

The blend of Dancing Hares showcases all four varieties planted on the estate. With each vineyard lot having great potential, the goal was to weave together the various components and create a wine with great complexity, depth, and a strong sense of terroir. We are very pleased with the result, and feel that this wine will continue to evolve and deliver over decades to come. Aromatically deep and expressive, with notes of chocolate, campfire, tobacco, and baked blackberry, the wine flows across the palate. The flavors and textures are incredibly generous, with the ripe fruit and toasty characters lingering on the finish. This is a wine that well reflects the potential of the Dancing Hares Vineyard, and the classic nature of the vintage.

Dancing Hares 2008 $124.99

95 Robert Parker
"A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, production is 525 cases of this exceptionally opulent, intense wine with an inky bluish purple color and a glorious noise of creosote, camphor, and blueberry pie intermixed with acacia flowers, forest floor and black currants. The compelling aromatics are easily backed up by a full-bodied wine buttressed by sweet tannin and fresh acids, giving it a laser-like precision. This is slightly better than the 2007, which is somewhat of an anomaly, and has great texture and suppleness. Drink this now or cellar it for 20+ years.

It’s good to retaste these wines from a tiny 5-acre vineyard planted in volcanic rock in the famous red aiken soils found on Howell Mountain. This is another winery that boasts Andy Erickson as the winemaker and David Abreu as the consulting viticulturalist. The 2007 performed better at this tasting, but the 2008 was dramatically better than the barrel sample I tasted last year. This is another example of a wine with a significant percentage of Cabernet Franc, improving considerably with time in bottle. This isn’t a surprise when I think of my history rating Cheval Blanc from St.-Emilion as another example of this.

Dancing Hares 2007 $124.99

94 Robert Parker
"The 2007 Dancing Hares exhibits a sweet nose of white chocolate, forest floor, blueberry, bay leaf, and cassis. Terrific fruit intensity, an opulent, full-bodied mouthfeel, with the considerable exuberance that is so much a part of this vintage's personality, and a long, lush finish make for a super wine to drink over the next 15 or more years.

It's good to retaste these wines from a tiny 5-acre vineyard planted in volcanic rock in the famous red aiken soils found on Howell Mountain. This is another winery that boasts Andy Erickson as the winemaker and David Abreu as the consulting viticulturalist. This is another example of a wine with a significant percentage of Cabemet Franc, improving considerably with time in bottle. This isn't a surprise when I think of my history rating Cheval Blanc from St.-Emilion as another example of this."
39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 37% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot

Mad Hatter 2008 $58.99

The wine exhibits rich vanilla character, along with dried cherries, raspberry, and savory notes. The tannins are soft, while the mid-palate is mouthwatering and juicy. The complex fruit character is enhanced by flavors of dried sage, cardamom, and black tea. At this time the wine softens and becomes more expressive with a light decanting.

Winemaker: Andy Erickson
Consulting Winemaker: Michel Rolland
Vineyard Manager: David Abreu
Vintners: Paula Brooks & Bob Cook

The goal at Dancing Hares is to produce a wine, without varietal designation, that best captures the character of the vintage and our unique terroir. Our Merlot vines typically produce a very small crop of intensely flavored fruit, with notes of bittersweet chocolate and ripe raspberries. The Cabernet Franc is also compelling, boasting aromas of licorice and spice, and providing an unctuous, jammy mouthfeel. No surprise, the Cabernet Sauvignon shines in our lean, rocky soils, providing a strong backbone along with blackberry, cassis, and earth tones. The sum of all three varietals is even more enticing than any of the individual parts. We regularly revisit the wines over time in the barrel, and blend just the right percentages of each that best showcase the potential of our vineyard.