May 23, 2024 - Deep ruby colour. Pronounced and developing nose with blackcurrant, ripe black plum, green bell pepper, cedar, tobacco, vanilla, smoke and blackcurrant leaves. Pronounced taste of blackcurrant, ripe blackberries, green bell pepper, cedar, tobacco, warm spices and vanilla. Long and dry finish. High acidity. Medium tannins. Full body. An outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now or over the next twenty years, at least. Goes well with beef or lamb.
May 12, 2024 - One hour decant. Deep dark, yet bright, magenta color. Blueberry pie and milk chocolate are the dominant notes. Smooth, dry palate, with satiny acidity. Full tannins on the longish finish.
Good, stereotypical Napa CS. Surprisingly simple, but certainly an easy drinker. Enjoyed at Luke in New Orleans.
April 23, 2024 - ok not great
March 23, 2024 - Last wine of the Paul Hobbs Around the World at Mission Wines. Relatively lighter extraction compared to some of his other Napa products, and slightly higher acid - I think having to do with the larger temperature changes and relatively lower temperatures here than in Napa (allowing for a lengthier ripening process). This is not as silky as the Malbec but the fruit is slightly more pronounced. The finish is quite short and there is not a whole lot of complexity in this wine. I think it is hard to quantify most Napa Cabs within a QPR bucket at this point, but this bottle feels like it is in a weird spot - pricey enough to have some sort of expectations, but not quite there given the price. I would rather spend more to get some of his other single vineyard Cabernets, or I would rather just drop the price and get a Crossbarn Pinot Noir.
March 8, 2024 - Full bodied. Well balanced with firm tannins. Vanilla, Oak, tobacco and dark fruits.
December 26, 2023 - Broke out after killing a bottle of 2009 Opus One. Held up nicely.
December 6, 2023 - Popped this at a wine bar and poured through an aerator. I wanted to try this as I just picked up a bottle at a Pavilion's wine sale. It was obvious immediately that a pnp was a mistake. This wine was a bit disjointed.
This had flavors of blueberry, raspberry, spice, and a touch of tobacco. The flavors did not work in harmony and the tannins were still to tight. This bottle needs to be held for a couple of years or give a really long decant.
I have drank a few Paul Hobbs Napa Valley bottles and they presented the same way. Not ready for business. Those were also a pnp at a winebar. Maybe these are just not wine bar wines as they were anything but easy drinking.
December 5, 2023 - This has that luxurious mouthfeel lovers of Napa Cab demand, but it’s also serious and impeccably authentic. What a fantastic wine from this icon of Napa Valley viticulture! 93
March 2, 2023 - Also a block buster, that needs some time to soften out.
January 19, 2023 - Cooked black cherries, cooked blackberries, dust, green bell pepper, cinnamon and an interesting steak of minerality on the nose. Palate adds vanilla and the cooked fruits become merely over ripe.
Full bodied with medium acid and medium tannin. Developing. Age this 2-5 more years.