Hourglass HG III Proprietary Red Blend at RH - Restoration Hardware Rooftop Restaurant in Oak Brook
New Years Day late lunch early dinner dining out, we dined at the stylish trendy RH Rooftop Restaurant located on the third floor of the RH - (Restoration Hardware) at Oak Brook Center, in nearby Oak Brook (IL).
RH is a spacious 60,000-square-foot design gallery, part residential, part retail furniture store. The dining room is a year-round skylit garden surrounding a trickling fountains amidst heritage olive trees and glimmering chandeliers under a glass skylit ceiling.
This has become one of Linda's favorite dine-sites that she loves to frequent when shopping at the adjacent upscale fashionable Oak Brook outdoor mall. While we considered a ladies spot with a girlie menu, I must admit RH exceeded my expectations in every respect - ambiance, food, wine - the totality of the dining experience, and intimate dining site.
The glass enclosed dining room provided a serene setting under the dusk sky.
The dining room is bright and airy yet intimate with the soothing accoustics of trickling water from the large central fountain surrounded by warm full grown olive trees.
The chic restaurant also features a wine bar and broad selection of classic curated wines from esteemed US and European vintners offering 60 wines, 40 wines by the glass (WBTG).
While limited, the winelist features classic notable upscale producers and selections - sparkling, rose, white and red.
Top rated reds reads like a who's who of top labels including: Caymus Special Selection, Zena Crown Slope, Eola-Amity Hills, Spottswoods St. Helena, Lail Vineyards Blueprint, Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast, Marchesi Antinori Tignanello, Shafer Hillside Select, The Mascot, Napa Valley, La Spinetetta Vignetto Garretti, Barolo, Chateau Rauzan-Segla Margaux Grand Cru Classé, Chateau Mont Reddon Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Penfolds Shiraz, RWT .
The premier top rated whites include: Louis Roederer Cristal Brut and Dom Perignon Champagne, Maison Champy Le Rognet, Corton Grand Cru, Burgundy, Domaine Laroche Chardonnay, Les Blanchots, Chablis Grand Cru, US Chardonnays from Sonoma-Cutrer Les Pierres, Sonoma, Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, Reserve, Gary Farrell Hallberg Vineyard and Rochioli Russian River Valley.
The winelist is premium selections with but a few budget or moderately priced bottles, yet the BTG are thoughtfully selected with several options such as our feature selections.Our wine pairings were ideal accentuating the enjoyment of the food as well as the wine.
From the limited, focused carefully selected menu we ordered, we ordered for our afternoon lunch/dinner: To share we enjoyed the Burrata with Roasted Peppers, Della Terra Aged Balsamic, Basil, Charred Sourdough. Linda order for her entree the Arugula with Fennel, Grapes, Sunflower Seeds, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Citrus Vinaigrette topped with the Broiled Salmon with Honey, Black Pepper, Brown Butter and Lemon.
For wine accompaniments, we ordered B-T-G, (by the glass), Chalk Hill,
Sonoma, Russian River Valley Chardonnay, and the Hourglass "HG III" Napa
Valley Proprietary Red Blend.
Hourglass "HGIII" Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend 2019
This proprietary red blend is from Napa Valley Hourglass, who have been producing ultra premium super high-scoring Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot since their inaugural release in 1997. The estate sits at the northern center of Napa Valley and consists of two vineyards focused on Bordeaux varietals.
Hourglass wines are crafted by veteran Napa Valley winemaker Tony Biagi who gained notoriety working at some of the Valley's elite wineries including Duckhorn, Paraduxx, Plumpjack, and Cade, where he was founding Winemaker before joining Hourglass.
Biagi is a sixth generation Californian whose first memories of wine go back to his father making small amounts of wine in his garage. He earned a degree in Fermentation Sciences at U.C. Davis in 1995 before working for the listed well-known estates, then joining Hourglass in 2012.
HG III is Hourglass' proprietary red blend second label produced exclusively from the Napa Valley. Biagi has made a name for himself with the critically acclaimed Hourglass wines, known for elegant tannin structure, rich mouthfeel, layers of silky textural depth and harmonious balance of richness and acidity. Biagi says: “I want my wines to be rich, but if that’s all they are they become one dimensional and monotonous,” he outlines. Writes a leading pundit, "HG III delivers a big, rich, powerful red blend, but always impeccably balanced. A real showstopper, even better with a good decant".
This is a somewhat unconventional blend, the core trio of varieties all offer
distinctive characteristics yet harmony to the final blend: Merlot leads with finesse
and approachability, Cabernet Sauvignon elevates with structure and
polish, and Petite Syrah grounds the blend with what one pundit calls 'gravitas and bass'.
The 2019 vintage was aged 16 months in a combination of new and seasoned French oak, contributing to its multilayered complexity and smooth tannins.
Winemaker Notes: “The 2019 vintage for HGIII is a knockout – an unequivocal example of how this expansive, rich and deeply textured wine over delivers. Tony’s ingenious blend, the core trio of varieties all offer distinction and harmony to the final blend: Merlot leads with finesse and approachability, Cabernet Sauvignon elevates with structure and polish, and Petite Syrah grounds the blend with gravitas and bass. With red and black currant forming the aromatic core, dried herb and fennel are their verdant, savory counterparts. A ripe juicy frame of dark sour and red cherry mingles with inky black cassis laced with fine streaks of dark Belgian chocolate. Undeniably approachable now, and yet with the structure, density, and complexity for great ageability.”
This was rated 94 Points by Master Sommelier Kevin Vogt, and 92 points by Jeb Dunnuck.
I enjoyed this so much I went home and went on-line and snatched up all the remaining bottles in stock at Binny's, our Chicagoland wine superstore.
Bright garnet colored with hues of purple, medium full bodied, elegant, polished, full round forward, nicely integrated briary blackberry and ripe plum fruits with notes of mocha dark chocolate, clove spice, hints of vanilla, and delicate floral, with a balanced long finish combining slightly chalky tannins.
RM 93 points.
https://www.hourglasswines.com/product/2019-Hourglass-HGIII
https://www.hourglasswines.com/
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