2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
Tasting notes
Deep garnet color with aromas of vanilla, black cherry, sage, and a hint of licorice. This Cabernet Sauvignon displays flavors of dark berry jam, baking spices, cardamom, finishing with silky tannins and powdered cocoa.
The Vineyards
Cecil De Loach has been farming the Russian River Valley for over 40 years and was among a small group of vintners that helped define this area as one of America’s premier growing regions. This Merlot was made from vines grown at Cecil’s Los Amigos Ranch, a vineyard in the Chalk Hill district of the Russian River Valley.
The Winemaking
Upon arriving from the vineyard, our Cabernet Sauvignon is gently destemmed and crushed before being moved to tank to begin fermentation. During this process, we carefully return fermenting wine onto its own “cap” of grape skins to extract all of the color, flavors, and tannins. We then press the remaining skins, and the resulting wine is aged for approximately 20 months in a combination of hand-selected American and European oak barrels.
Specs
Harvest Date: September 18, 2021
Estate Bottled: September 1, 2022
Aging: 20 months in French & American Oak, 30% new
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.45
TA: .66
Cases Produced: 3720
Winemaker: Jason De Loach
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, Chalk Hill
Tasting Notes
This single vineyard Merlot displays a deep garnet color. Aromas of ripe strawberries and Rabbiteye blueberries give way to caramel and cedar. Chocolate, cola and spice make this finish smooth and memorable.
The Vineyards
Cecil De Loach has been farming the Russian River Valley for over 40 years and was among a small group of vintners that helped define this area as one of America’s premier growing regions. This Merlot was made from vines grown at Cecil’s Los Amigos Ranch, a vineyard in the Chalk Hill district of the Russian River Valley.
The Winemaking
Upon arriving from the vineyard, our Merlot is gently destemmed and crushed before being moved to tank to begin fermentation. During this process, we carefully return fermenting wine onto its own “cap” of grape skins to extract all the color, flavors, and tannins. We then press the remaining skins, and the resulting wine is aged for approximately 20 months in a combination of 12 hand-selected American and European oak barrels.
Specs
Harvest Date: October 8-18, 2021
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.50
TA: .62
Estate Bottled: September 1, 2023
Aging: 20 months in French oak, 30% new
Cases Produced: 1200
Winemaker: Jason De Loach
What’s Included
6-bottles:
3x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, Chalk Hill
3x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
Case:
6x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, Chalk Hill
6x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
Hook & Ladder Winery continues the legacy of one of the Russian River Valley’s most influential wine families. Founded in 2003 by pioneering growers and vintners Cecil and Christine De Loach, and helmed today by their grandson, winemaker Jason De Loach, Hook & Ladder showcases the diversity of the appellation the family helped to define, in a portfolio of limited-production bottlings from their Russian River Valley estate vineyards. The name Hook & Ladder pays homage to Cecil De Loach’s 17-year career as a San Francisco firefighter.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot - $25 = 13.88%
Context matters. We all know how sometimes the environs can impact the tasting experience.
I got a new grill this week.
Last night was the inaugural cooking and I may have been a bit ambitious on the menu.
Still, close friends present, kids running around having a good time, and a beautiful night on the patio. Context matters.
I give all this build up because I am the only person in our friend group (spouse included) who likes ANY new world Cabs. I’m pretty picky with them and the rest of this crowd doesn’t like them at all. Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was the wine + the setting, but this one won over 4/4 participants.
The first thing we noticed was the color - unbelievably dark. Both wives mentioned they’d never seen a wine quite this color.
Nothing notable about the nose - maybe some dark fruit but I don’t even offer that with confidence.
We were outdoors so I did not decant (unusual for me). I poured into four glasses and we started drinking. It had been in the wine fridge for 24 hours, so the temp was just right.
Two of us liked it from the first sip. Two were uncertain. Fruit - dark cherries - lost of them. Tobacco. You get a little oak. I loved the way the tannins hit from the outset - very soft and layered texture. Nice dryness - notable but not too much.
15-20 minutes in, everyone liked the wine. “This is a good slow sipper!” “Pleasant sweetness - the kind that doesn’t linger.”
I’m no wine expert, so I can’t give you much more than that. Maybe it was the grill, the lobster tails, or being outside on a beautiful night with friends. But from a group of people who most often don’t care for new world, especially cabs, this was a hit.
Saturday Night’s Alright…for drinking wine? Or would you rather have a belly full of beer? Saturday, Saturday, Saturday…
Ok Reverse Wine Snob offered both in April…
The 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon needs a bit of air to really come together but when it does there’s a lot going on and it’s going on good. This one is full of black cherry, spice, vanilla, cocoa, leather, cedar and much more. It’s an awesome start.
Tasting the wine reveals lots of juicy, ripe dark berry fruit and other flavors similar to the nose plus lovely and well-integrated spice notes. Full-bodied and with great balance, structure and depth, this is a lovely example of Cabernet. And it just keeps on getting better as it breathes.
It ends dry, grippy and even a bit dusty with lots of dynamic spice notes on the very long and lasting finish. It was just as good on day 2. We like this one even a bit better than the 2020 giving it a Perfect 10 Taste Rating.
The Merlot:
The 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill Merlot opens with a lovely, deep aroma full of dark spicy fruit, cedar, licorice and more. It’s a wonderful start.
Thee wine tastes deep and juicy and features a smooth, round mouthfeel. It is tasting a little bit young right now with oaky spice throughout, but that subsides quickly and it gains even more complexity as it has some time to breathe. It also has excellent structure and ability to age.
It ends dry, long, and a bit grippy with lots of lasting spicy dark fruit on the mouthwatering finish. It was just as good on day 2. We put this at the very high end of our 9 Taste Rating, what a combo in today’s deal!
It’s a holiday weekend but no fighting, behave tonight, no getting drunker than a barrel full of monkeys…
Background: Our least favorite varietals are the Bordeaux. Well, we like Malbec, but Cabs/Merlots/CF/PV, not that much. Of those 4, we have been a little partial to some Merlots. But even some really good ones, we’d certainly pass on for our Syrahs and Grenaches and Pinots. So, this review is coming from that type of person.
But we both liked this some. What we like that Merlot does in blends is provide fruit and good mid-palette, and this wine does that. The nose was really wonderful, like smelling a bowl of fruit where someone sprinkled complexity sauce.
Taste was also fruity. I give wine to my wife with no intro, for years now. Early on, she loved every Grenache and Syrah I gave her, and did not like any bordeaux (old world or new); lately she come to respect these venerable varietals a bit. She liked this right off, her first taste when bottle had been opened 5 hours.
Still good the next day. For some reason I had in my mind that this was a budget wine, so I was really bowled over by the quality. Now I see the original and casemates prices, that makes sense. We were very busy and were not able to take notes as usual, but I have a glass right here. I’ll give one final taste. Wine has been open 40 hours, sitting on the counter (this was on purpose; to see how it sits and maybe ages.)
Nose is not as fantastic as it was early on; less fruity, which is what I like. On palette . . . still good. More secondary, less fruit flavors. Long pleasant finish.
Assuming the real Merlot-folks like this, this is a very solid buy. Because the non-Merlot-folks will probably like it too. This is the type of crowd-and-wineaux-pleasing wine you serve at weddings, but much better than you typically get at weddings.
@wardad our palates align ! We prefer leaner Rhône’s and Pinots with nice acidity and little to no new oak. How would you say this merlots fits in this category? I’m tempted by this offer because of what feels like a great QPR. Thanks
Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
TL;DR: Give it some decanting, and this Cab absolutely sings: big dark fruit, spice, cocoa, and a long finish.
Opened the 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, and I was immediately reminded why Hook & Ladder was one of the first cases I ever purchased back in 2008 when I first got into drinking good wine. This feels like a return to my roots.
In the glass, it’s a deep garnet. On the nose, I get black cherry, vanilla, and a little licorice. At first, it was a bit tight, but after some air and a spell in the decanter, it really opened up. Dark berry fruit, spice, and cocoa all came through on the palate. It’s full-bodied but well-balanced, with nice depth and structure. Not jammy but not subtle either.
The finish is dry with grippy tannins and lingering spice. Very long, very satisfying. Held up beautifully on day two. I liked it even better than the 2020, which I purchased when it came up last time with the merlot.
Bottom line: Classic Hook & Ladder Cab: structured, balanced, and built to impress. Thank you to Casemates for the rat opportunity! I’ll be buying this and am hoping for an awesome price point and maybe a variety, though I’d easily be good with a case of the cab.
Will someone help me out with the rat logo? [sure] I usually am on my computer but I’m in Vegas for the weekend so it’s just me and my phone and a bunch of broken dreams. Also, may explain why I’m a little late to the party. Sorry about that.
This is now the 2nd case of wine that has shown up with absolutely no notification whatsoever, Ty Caton Merlot being the first. Both wines are still showing processing in my account. Once again, I’m glad I was home but can we please get some notification?
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
Tasting notes
The Vineyards
The Winemaking
Specs
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, Chalk Hill
Tasting Notes
The Vineyards
The Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$492.00/Case for 6x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot, Chalk Hill + 6x 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill at Hook & Ladder Vineyards and Winery
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 22 - Wednesday, Sep 24
Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot
6 bottles for $89.99 $15/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $154.99 $12.92/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Merlot
2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
@ilCesare link is to cab franc fyi
@ilCesare @losthighwayz
tnx, fixed
Previous offer:
3/31/25
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Hook & Ladder Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot - $25 = 13.88%
Last shot at that sweet, sweet KAOLIS summer discount. Cue the pumpkin spice latte stampede!
Los Amigos Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill
Context matters. We all know how sometimes the environs can impact the tasting experience.
I got a new grill this week.
Last night was the inaugural cooking and I may have been a bit ambitious on the menu.
Still, close friends present, kids running around having a good time, and a beautiful night on the patio. Context matters.
I give all this build up because I am the only person in our friend group (spouse included) who likes ANY new world Cabs. I’m pretty picky with them and the rest of this crowd doesn’t like them at all. Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was the wine + the setting, but this one won over 4/4 participants.
The first thing we noticed was the color - unbelievably dark. Both wives mentioned they’d never seen a wine quite this color.
Nothing notable about the nose - maybe some dark fruit but I don’t even offer that with confidence.
We were outdoors so I did not decant (unusual for me). I poured into four glasses and we started drinking. It had been in the wine fridge for 24 hours, so the temp was just right.
Two of us liked it from the first sip. Two were uncertain. Fruit - dark cherries - lost of them. Tobacco. You get a little oak. I loved the way the tannins hit from the outset - very soft and layered texture. Nice dryness - notable but not too much.
15-20 minutes in, everyone liked the wine. “This is a good slow sipper!” “Pleasant sweetness - the kind that doesn’t linger.”
I’m no wine expert, so I can’t give you much more than that. Maybe it was the grill, the lobster tails, or being outside on a beautiful night with friends. But from a group of people who most often don’t care for new world, especially cabs, this was a hit.
Saturday Night’s Alright…for drinking wine? Or would you rather have a belly full of beer? Saturday, Saturday, Saturday…
Ok Reverse Wine Snob offered both in April…
The 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon needs a bit of air to really come together but when it does there’s a lot going on and it’s going on good. This one is full of black cherry, spice, vanilla, cocoa, leather, cedar and much more. It’s an awesome start.
Tasting the wine reveals lots of juicy, ripe dark berry fruit and other flavors similar to the nose plus lovely and well-integrated spice notes. Full-bodied and with great balance, structure and depth, this is a lovely example of Cabernet. And it just keeps on getting better as it breathes.
It ends dry, grippy and even a bit dusty with lots of dynamic spice notes on the very long and lasting finish. It was just as good on day 2. We like this one even a bit better than the 2020 giving it a Perfect 10 Taste Rating.
The Merlot:
The 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill Merlot opens with a lovely, deep aroma full of dark spicy fruit, cedar, licorice and more. It’s a wonderful start.
Thee wine tastes deep and juicy and features a smooth, round mouthfeel. It is tasting a little bit young right now with oaky spice throughout, but that subsides quickly and it gains even more complexity as it has some time to breathe. It also has excellent structure and ability to age.
It ends dry, long, and a bit grippy with lots of lasting spicy dark fruit on the mouthwatering finish. It was just as good on day 2. We put this at the very high end of our 9 Taste Rating, what a combo in today’s deal!
It’s a holiday weekend but no fighting, behave tonight, no getting drunker than a barrel full of monkeys…
fwiw
HIKING! VIKINGS! STRIKE KING [BRAND FISHING LURES]! AWESOME!
@kaolis …but my old lady she dont care.
I got the Merlot. It’s good.
Background: Our least favorite varietals are the Bordeaux. Well, we like Malbec, but Cabs/Merlots/CF/PV, not that much. Of those 4, we have been a little partial to some Merlots. But even some really good ones, we’d certainly pass on for our Syrahs and Grenaches and Pinots. So, this review is coming from that type of person.
But we both liked this some. What we like that Merlot does in blends is provide fruit and good mid-palette, and this wine does that. The nose was really wonderful, like smelling a bowl of fruit where someone sprinkled complexity sauce.
Taste was also fruity. I give wine to my wife with no intro, for years now. Early on, she loved every Grenache and Syrah I gave her, and did not like any bordeaux (old world or new); lately she come to respect these venerable varietals a bit. She liked this right off, her first taste when bottle had been opened 5 hours.
Still good the next day. For some reason I had in my mind that this was a budget wine, so I was really bowled over by the quality. Now I see the original and casemates prices, that makes sense. We were very busy and were not able to take notes as usual, but I have a glass right here. I’ll give one final taste. Wine has been open 40 hours, sitting on the counter (this was on purpose; to see how it sits and maybe ages.)
Nose is not as fantastic as it was early on; less fruity, which is what I like. On palette . . . still good. More secondary, less fruit flavors. Long pleasant finish.
Assuming the real Merlot-folks like this, this is a very solid buy. Because the non-Merlot-folks will probably like it too. This is the type of crowd-and-wineaux-pleasing wine you serve at weddings, but much better than you typically get at weddings.
@wardad our palates align
! We prefer leaner Rhône’s and Pinots with nice acidity and little to no new oak. How would you say this merlots fits in this category? I’m tempted by this offer because of what feels like a great QPR. Thanks
Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
TL;DR: Give it some decanting, and this Cab absolutely sings: big dark fruit, spice, cocoa, and a long finish.
Opened the 2021 Hook & Ladder Los Amigos Ranch Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, and I was immediately reminded why Hook & Ladder was one of the first cases I ever purchased back in 2008 when I first got into drinking good wine. This feels like a return to my roots.
In the glass, it’s a deep garnet. On the nose, I get black cherry, vanilla, and a little licorice. At first, it was a bit tight, but after some air and a spell in the decanter, it really opened up. Dark berry fruit, spice, and cocoa all came through on the palate. It’s full-bodied but well-balanced, with nice depth and structure. Not jammy but not subtle either.
The finish is dry with grippy tannins and lingering spice. Very long, very satisfying. Held up beautifully on day two. I liked it even better than the 2020, which I purchased when it came up last time with the merlot.
Bottom line: Classic Hook & Ladder Cab: structured, balanced, and built to impress. Thank you to Casemates for the rat opportunity! I’ll be buying this and am hoping for an awesome price point and maybe a variety, though I’d easily be good with a case of the cab.
Will someone help me out with the rat logo? [sure] I usually am on my computer but I’m in Vegas for the weekend so it’s just me and my phone and a bunch of broken dreams. Also, may explain why I’m a little late to the party. Sorry about that.
POPSOCKETS! SPA KITS! POLLY POCKETS! AWESOME!
This is now the 2nd case of wine that has shown up with absolutely no notification whatsoever, Ty Caton Merlot being the first. Both wines are still showing processing in my account. Once again, I’m glad I was home but can we please get some notification?
@suzanne17 not trying to excuse case mates, who really ought to be on top of this, but the ups app can keep you updated.
@suzanne17 @Ten9Eight
@winedavid59
This has been a sporadic issue over the years. Disappointing that it hasn’t been figured out yet.
@chipgreen @Ten9Eight @Winedavid59 I just received shipping and delivery notifications for both cases. Thanks