2016 Paul Hobbs Gold Rock Pino Noir

Another world-class Pinot Noir from Hobbs is the 2016 Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate, which comes from the Sonoma Coast. As with the Katherine Lindsay cuvée, it has remarkable finesse and elegance as well as a gorgeously layered texture, medium to full body, and incredible aromatics of violets, plums, black cherries, and scorched earth. It has plenty of tannins, yet they’re ripe, polished, and silky, and this beauty just glides across the palate. Nevertheless, give it a year or so and it’s going to knock your socks off over the following decade or more. These latest releases from Paul Hobbs are pretty much sensational across the board and Hobbs’ finds a rare mix of purity and elegance matched to richness and concentration that hits all my sweet spots. Hobbs commented that 2016 was a perfect vintage where everything came together easily, and the resulting wines have a terrific sense of elegance, purity an balance that make them already irresistible, yet will also allow them to age gracefully. In addition, the lineup is easy to understand; Hobbs makes an appellation blend Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and two single vineyards of each variety.

This is the first vintage for this new Paul Hobbs single-vineyard Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast. Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate sings of lilacs, dark chocolate, cinnamon and Black forest cake with sparks of pomegranate, rhubarb, ceps and rose hip tea. Full-bodied, concentrated and decadently fruited in the mouth, it offers a firm yet velvety texture, finishing long, lively and refreshing. 239 cases were made.

The 2016 Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate is an outrageously beautiful, dense, vivid wine endowed with tons of personality and pedigree. Inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, mint and spice all develop in a plush, silky Pinot with exceptional balance and tons of class. The richer side of the Sonoma Coast comes through loud and clear in this stunning Pinot from Paul Hobbs.