Hook & Ladder Wines at New Castle Liquors

 In Uncategorized, Wine

We’d planned to take one day off from tasting during our visit to Sonoma and Napa in the spring of 2019 and were headed to explore Bodega Bay. On a whim, I researched a couple of wineries that weren’t on our schedule. Hook & Ladder Winery in the Russian River Valley caught my eye and it was on our way, so we dropped in to check it out. Boy, were we glad we did!

Hook & Ladder WineryOwned by Cecil and Christine De Loach, whose wine story started back in 1970, Hook & Ladder is a nod to Cecil’s 17-year career as a San Francisco firefighter. Hook & Ladder is helmed today by grandson Jason De Loach, an accomplished winemaker who joined the winery in 2006. These days, Cecil and Christine can often be found at the winery they founded, helping out in the office, cellar and occasionally in the tasting room, which is festooned with fire station t-shirts given to the winery by visiting firefighters from all around the world. We were lucky enough to meet Christine during our visit. 

Scott and I both fell in love with their wines and their story, and purchased several bottles to bring home. I even bought a t-shirt as a souvenir. At that time, Hook & Ladder wines were not distributed in our neck of the woods. 

Hook & Ladder Wines at New Castle LiquorsFast forward a year and a half…I had several open spots to fill, so I reviewed my notes from our trip. I decided to see if they’d made any progress on expanding distribution in Western Colorado. I’m so glad I did! They do, and you can now find Hook & Ladder Wines at New Castle Liquors. We’ve brought in four of our favorites to start:

Hook & Ladder Estate Pinot Noir

Russian River Valley — This Pinot Noir displays a beautiful shimmering garnet color, followed by aromas of almond-vanilla and fresh strawberry. A layered palette of full ripe flavors consisting of Luxardo cherries, brown sugar and sandalwood with a dark chocolate drying finish that lingers. This is a beautiful, delicate Pinot Noir that will age nicely.

Hook & Ladder The Tillerman Red Blend

Chalk Hill — The Tillerman red blend exhibits a deep purple hue, with notes of ripe wild berries, black cherry, and baking spices on the nose. Layered flavors of black currant and raspberry lead to a long finish of dark chocolate spice.

Hook & Ladder Station 10 Zinfandel Blend

Russian River Valley — Station Ten is the fire house in San Francisco from which Cecil De Loach retired. The Station Ten is a deep red velvet colored Zin blend displaying dense aromas of spicy baked plum and light nutmeg. Flavors of succulent ripe blackberry and dark chocolate compliment this full bodied blend as it finishes with layers of dried currant and trace anise. Try this versatile Zinfandel blend with any red meat from the grill or dishes featuring tomato-based sauces.

Hook & Ladder Estate Chardonnay

Russian River Valley — Displaying colors of goldenrod, our 2019 Chardonnay’s bouquet elicits floral notes of honey, ripe apple and light butterscotch. The flavors exhibit subtle, creamy, Gravenstein apple with a touch of nectarine and guava on the finish.
 
Even though we were there during the very busy barrel tasting weekend, everyone we met was very friendly and helpful. When they heard we were headed to Bodega Bay, they suggested a hole-in-the-wall seafood restaurant, The Boat House, instead of the bigger, fancier place I’d found online. It was just amazing as the wine. 
 
Stop by New Castle Liquors to give these wonderful Russian River Valley wines a try. We’re located at 820 Castle Valley Boulevard in New Castle, Colorado, the gateway to the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. 
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