Rating 98
Style Red
Blend , Cabernet Franc, Grenache
Vintage 2021
Appellation
Sonoma County
North Coast
California
USA
ABV 14.1%
Price $160.00  Buy This Wine
Print Shelf Talker
Reviewed By
Reviewed 2026-05-05

Perfect For

Long-Term Aging, Steak Dinner, Treat Yo'self

Drink If You Like

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon , Syrah / Shiraz

Hamel Nuns Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Review

Forming part of the eastern border of Sonoma County, tucked into the Moon Mountain District almost 1,600 feet above sea level, is the Nuns Canyon Vineyard. This is not a well-known AVA among Sonoma’s more famous names like Russian River Valley, but something has emerged from these heights, and this bottle from Hamel shows why it deserves your attention. 

The Hamel family farms this vineyard and ages the wine in a panoply of vessels: maturing for 12 months in 33 percent New French and Austrian oak casks, 41 percent neutral oak casks, and 26 percent neutral oak barrels, followed by seven months in concrete tanks. The result is a meticulously made wine with great focus and power. It opens with notes of crushed blackberries and moss with a subtle aroma of cooking herbs and savory tamarind. The palate offers complex notes of fleshy fruit and cured meat with a great texture. The tannins are easy yet present, moving quietly toward the core of the wine and your palate.

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98
POINTS
Hamel Nuns Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Forming part of the eastern border of Sonoma County, tucked into the Moon Mountain District almost 1,600 feet above sea level, is the Nuns Canyon Vineyard. This is not a well-known AVA among Sonoma’s more famous names like Russian River Valley, but something has emerged from these heights, and this bottle from Hamel shows why it deserves your attention.  The Hamel family farms this vineyard and ages the wine in a panoply of vessels: maturing for 12 months in 33 percent New French and Austrian oak casks, 41 percent neutral oak casks, and 26 percent neutral oak barrels, followed by seven months in concrete tanks. The result is a meticulously made wine with great focus and power. It opens with notes of crushed blackberries and moss with a subtle aroma of cooking herbs and savory tamarind. The palate offers complex notes of fleshy fruit and cured meat with a great texture. The tannins are easy yet present, moving quietly toward the core of the wine and your palate.

Reviewed On: 05-05-2026
98
POINTS
Hamel Nuns Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Forming part of the eastern border of Sonoma County, tucked into the Moon Mountain District almost 1,600 feet above sea level, is the Nuns Canyon Vineyard. This is not a well-known AVA among Sonoma’s more famous names like Russian River Valley, but something has emerged from these heights, and this bottle from Hamel shows why it deserves your attention.  The Hamel family farms this vineyard and ages the wine in a panoply of vessels: maturing for 12 months in 33 percent New French and Austrian oak casks, 41 percent neutral oak casks, and 26 percent neutral oak barrels, followed by seven months in concrete tanks. The result is a meticulously made wine with great focus and power. It opens with notes of crushed blackberries and moss with a subtle aroma of cooking herbs and savory tamarind. The palate offers complex notes of fleshy fruit and cured meat with a great texture. The tannins are easy yet present, moving quietly toward the core of the wine and your palate.

Reviewed On: 05-05-2026