Hertelendy Vineyards

Hertelendy Vineyards is a California wine estate in Napa Valley that specializes in producing Bordeaux varietals. The winery was established in 2013 by founder and vintner, Ralph Hertelendy. It is only the second winery in Napa Valley history of Hungarian descent to earn 99 points in Napa Valley.
Hertelendy is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux red blends. Due to the limited production and quality winemaking, their wines are considered cult wines.
==History==
In 2014, Ralph Hertelendy purchased a 4+ acre mountainside 1365 ft elevation Merlot vineyard 35 feet below Howell Mountain AVA. This vineyard is known as “Rockwell Ridge.” Hertelendy Vineyards celebrated its first release in 2016 with the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. 
Ralph started the winery as a way to pay homage to his ancestors who made wines in Hungary and Slovakia circa 18th century. In the 20th century, his Great Uncle Gábor Hertelendy produced Szürkebarát (Pinot Gris) and Kéknyelű (a rare Hungarian white varietal) in his basalt-mountain vineyards, which only consisted of two acres. His wine was sold to the Badascony cooperative, so there was never a trace of the Hertelendy name on his wine. His land was eventually confiscated by the Communists, however, Gábor stayed and worked on the property. Ralph’s father, Paul Hertelendy, escaped in June 1940 on the last boat out of Europe at the onset of World War II.
The Hertelendy Vineyards logo contains the original coat of arms from the family’s Hungarian crest. Regardless of where Hertelendys make wine, volcanic soil remains a fundamental key in Hertelendy winemaking throughout generations.
==Production==
Hertelendy sources its fruit from its own “Rockwell Ridge” estate vineyard. In addition, the winery also sources from volcanic sites in the Napa Valley region. These areas include Atlas Peak, Pritchard Hill, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Coombsville, and Russian River Valley.
This fruit is used to produce the following six limited production wines:
* Audere Red Blend
* Signature Mountain Blend
* Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
* Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay
* Cabernet Franc
* Hertelendy Legend
Overall, Hertelendy Vineyards produces an average of 750 cases annually. The winery barrel ages their reds for 23 months and their Chardonnay for 19 months.
==Winemaking==
Ralph Hertelendy is the founder and vintner for Hertelendy Vineyards. He earned his degree from the University of San Francisco and worked as a sommelier for several wineries in the Napa Valley. He developed his interest in wine at the age of 5 when he tasted it for the first time. He made his first beer at the age of 15, and at 25, he made his first wine. Over the years he has developed his wine making skills towards creating only top quality wines. He went on wine explorations in France, Italy, and Spain to broaden his horizons. He believes in creating top quality wines in small production volumes, that can be seen as trophy wines to be owned as collections or investments.
Phillip Corallo is the head wine consultant for Hertelendy Vineyards. He earned his enology, viticulture and agronomy degree at the University of California, Davis. He believes that the winemaking process begins in the vineyard and requires ripe grapes and terroir are the prerequisites for making premium wines.
Combining Ralph’s bold and complex approach and Phillip’s virtuosity in winemaking, wines made at Hertelendy Vineyards take over 2.5 years processing time from vineyards to table and meet the standards of being called cult wines and are highly recommended by Sommeliers business.
==Awards==
* Hertelendy Vineyards 2015 Signature Mountain Blend & 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon won gold medals at the 2020 Sommeliers Choice Awards.
* TEXSOM International Wine Awards 2020 Gold and Sunset International Wine Competition Double Gold
==References==
==External links==
* Official website
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Category:Wineries
Category:Wineries in California
Category:Bordeaux wine
Category:Bordeaux wine producers