2008 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

My least favorite wine from Paul Hobbs, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard, is still an outstanding effort. As usual, the 2008 seems firmer, more tannic and austere than the other wines in this portfolio. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of crushed rocks, loamy soil, tobacco leaf and red and black currants offered in a full-bodied, gritty, tannic, muscular style. Forget this 2008 for 2-4 years and drink it over the following two decades. One of California’s most renowned international wine consultants (he consults with 14 bodegas in Argentina, 3 wineries in Chile and also an estate in Armenia), Paul Hobbs is also a well-known consultant in California with his best-known clients being Merus, Stewart Cellars, Clos Pegase and Constant. All of Paul Hobbs offerings from the Sonoma Coast and the Russian River, which includes an impressive portfolio of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, will be reviewed in the February, 2011 issue in an extensive report on those viticultural areas. Hobbs produces one Napa Valley Pinot Noir from the Carneros region. The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignons all look sensational. As a group, they come close to rivaling the brilliant success Paul Hobbs enjoyed in 2007. An early look at barrel samples of four 2009s suggests these are very strong efforts. Paul Hobbs did not make a 2009 Stagecoach or Hyde Cabernet because he had not harvested those Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards before the deluge of rain hit in mid-October. He felt there was too much mold in those vineyards. Tel. (707) 824-9879; Fax (707) 824-5843