2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Coombsville)

I missed seeing the peripatetic Paul Hobbs for the first time this year and tasted through the new set of wines with assistant winemaker Megan Baccitich and Scott Morrison, who oversees Hobbs' Crossbarn project. Morrison told me that the shorthand description of the two vintages that we tasted was that "2009 equals plush and 2010 equals fresh," adding that he thinks 2010 was an ideal year for chardonnay because of the cool season and "the slow uptake of sugar while acid was retained." Baccitich told me that "the best 2010 red wines have density but aren't heavy. They have tension but mostly aren't for people who want big, rich wines, especially with Napa cabernet."

I tasted a wide range of stunning wines with Paul Hobbs, Megan Baccitich and Jason Valenti. Readers will find no shortage of fabulous choices among these 2009 and 2010 Cabernets. After tasting the Hobbs Pinots, it is impossible to miss the clear link between those wines and his Cabernets, especially when comparing those wines to the other Cabernets being made by other producers from the same sites. These are some of the most impeccable, polished, Pinot-like Cabernet Sauvignons readers will come across. The wines are fermented with natural yeasts and are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Crossbarn is Paul Hobbs' second label and is included here for ease of reference.