Chef’s Experience Our signature wine and food experience Nuns Canyon Experience An exploration of our limited-production wines Estate Experience An introduction to Hamel and our Estate Series wines
Hamel 15401 Sonoma Highway Sonoma, CA
hamelfamilywines.com
Reservations are currently available seven days a week at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:30 PM daily.
I t’s one of those midwinter days when the Sonoma Valley feels like Brigadoon — socked in with tule fog, but drive a few minutes in any direction and sun breaks through. From our vantage point in the library at Hamel, with the large double doors open, we can watch this intricate interplay of microclimates play out on the distant hills as we enjoy an inspired pairing called Chef’s Experience. On arrival, we’re greeted with a 2024 Nuns Canyon Vineyard Chardonnay which, thanks to the site’s rocky volcanic soil and a non-malolactic fermentation, is bright with minerality and soft on the palate. During a short walking tour of the winery and cave, we learn about the history of Hamel and its evolution into a top-flight destination. In 2006, Wisconsin natives Pamela and George Hamel, Jr., bought a home in Kenwood and started making wine from a small vineyard on-site. In 2010, they purchased the land where the winery now stands and started building their dream. Today, Hamel produces distinctly crafted wines sourced exclusively from its Demeter-certified biodynamic, primarily dry-farmed vineyards (three vineyards, totaling 91 acres, are planted on 263 acres of land in Sonoma Valley). Local and organic bites Executive Chef Thomas Mendel has curated our pairings featuring ingredients sourced from the estate and local organic farms. Five small plates are designed to surprise and delight, and while each
one is delicious and thoughtful and intricate, the wine is the star. A refill of the Chardonnay plays nicely with a dreamy crème fraiche tart, which provides a buttery element that’s otherwise downplayed in the wine. A bit of caviar on top adds salinity to offset the richness. The pairing elevates the wine, bringing out flavor aspects that were less noticeable when sipped alone. This interplay becomes a common thread in the day’s proceedings. A 2023 Nuns Canyon Vineyard Grenache is earthy and light with modest tannins and a purity of fruit that’s credited to an early harvest. Another intuitive pairing, it’s complemented by a mushroom dumpling in spicy beef consommé with fresh herbs. The heat Did You Know? Winemaking team John Hamel and Maura Kinsella work closely with terroir consultant Pedro Parra, conducting intensive terroir research for each vineyard, breaking large blocks down into small polygons that are monitored, harvested and aged separately to express the character, complexity and individuality of each variety. An exposed wall in the cave showcases layers of volcanic soils and how they interplay beneath the surface, leading to dramatic transitions within small vineyard spaces.
opens the palate and the wine swoops in to claim the spotlight.
Deep dive into wine As we lean into deeper and deeper reds, we’re poured a 2023 Estate Cabernet Franc. It offers bright red fruit, a perfumed nose and plenty of spice. A squash sformato with hazelnut and black truffle (oh my!) is lush and rich. The wine cuts through the custard-like texture with brightness and ripe fruit to balance the mouthfeel. We finish big, with two Cab pairings. The first, a 2018 Hamel Family Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, has silky tannins and a decadent finish. Accompanied by crispy-skinned duck breast, the wine’s licorice and chocolate notes highlight the sweet meat while a celery root, walnut and date compote deliver a Thanksgiving dinner vibe. And just when I thought it couldn’t go bigger, a beefy, powerful 2015 Nuns Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (poured from a magnum) takes center stage. Bold nose, dense color, dark berry, cocoa and caramel. It’s paired with New York strip steak, tempura fried squash and bordelaise sauce. A furikake (seaweed) crumble on the squash makes for an upscale surf-n-turf moment. So many great wineries spring from humble, “making wine just for ourselves” roots. Of course, it takes time, hard work and more than a little luck to make the leap, but when the stars (and the vines) align, it can seem magical. We experienced some of that magic at Hamel. a
March | April 2026
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