41% Merlot, 38% Petite Sirah, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% other red varieties

Food pairings: Grilled or braised steak, roast lamb, venison, hearty stews, mushroom risotto and pasta, aged hard cheeses such as Gruyère or Comté.

Winemaking: HG III is Hourglass's study in the art of blending. Merlot brings sleek, approachable texture and tangy red fruit, Petite Sirah anchors the wine with dark blue and black fruit, and Cabernet Sauvignon weaves it together with structure and refinement. The wine is aged in a combination of new and seasoned French oak, about half of it new, and is crafted to show beautifully from the moment it is opened, with no need for decanting, while having the structure and depth to age.

Vineyards and terroir: The 2023 draws on the family's Blueline Estate in Calistoga, a site at the foot of the mountains in Dutch Henry Canyon with gravelly river-wash soils on the valley floor and decomposed volcanic ash on its bench, together with other Napa sites including the Jaeger, Orchard, Bolen Park and Varozza vineyards. A long, temperate 2023 season gave fresh, vibrant fruit.

Family and history: Hourglass began with Ned Smith, an adman turned Napa Valley real estate pioneer, who in 1976 bought a small knoll north of St. Helena at the narrowest pinch of the valley, the "hourglass," and planted Zinfandel there. His son Jeff Smith replanted the site to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1992 and founded Hourglass, adding the Blueline Estate in Calistoga in 2006 and building a striking modern winery cut into the hillside there with architect Olle Lundberg. Tony Biagi has shaped the wines since the 2012 vintage and remains a partner and consultant, while winemaker Adrian Halpin has crafted HG III since 2019.

In the pictures: Hourglass founder and vintner Jeff Smith; the cave at the Hourglass winery on the Blueline Estate in Calistoga, looking out to the vines; and the Hourglass Estate vineyard in St. Helena in spring (photos courtesy of Hourglass, trade and media page).