This is a winner! Slightly better is the 4,000 case 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa cuvee. It offers up complex aromas of tobacco leaf, graphite, damp earth, blackberries and black currants, full-bodied power and more density, depth and structure than the Cross Barn. Already drinkable, it should age effortlessly for 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

Firm, tight and compact, with a trim mix of dried currant, berry and red and black licorice. This unfolds gracefully, showing a mineral and sage edge, before firming on the finish. Drink now through 2019. 4,045 cases made. -JL

Rich, spicy blackberry, roasted nut, red apple and mineral bouquet. Fresh, lively palate with good weight of fruit, smooth tannins and some complexity. Delicious. Drink 2012-2020. Alc: 14.8%. (16 points)

Deep ruby-red. Spicy, liquoricy nose with notes of cocoa and fruit undertones. Powerful, well-structured palate developing aromas of thyme and black cherry. Long, rigorous, well-balanced finish. A full wine with excellent ageing capacity.