Paul Hobbs Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Paul Hobbs is truly one of the finest, most illustrious wineries in all of America. The man himself has a resume unlike just about anyone else, with stints at Robert Mondavi, Opus One, and Simi. His own winery has had countless praise heaped upon it from day one, including the rare-air distinction of joining the Robert Parker, Jr. 100-point club alongside true wine royalty.

The winery has built an extraordinary reputation for making the best of the best in Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay from some of the most exclusive, lavish sites in all of the U.S. Each vintage, Paul seemingly effortlessly manages to get the most out of the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Napa Valley AVAs, making wines that uniquely exemplify each individual terroir. If we can nab something, it’s usually the Crossbarn Cabs or maybe even the Estate. But today, my old buddy has thrown us one big ol’ juicy bone.

We’re lucky enough to have a few cases of a true Paul Hobbs gem, his Coombsville AVA Cabernet. Now, you know his single-vineyard Cabs go for $300-400/btl, but the AVA-specific Cabs are, to me, every bit as electric—just without some of the fanfare. Apparently, Europe’s most stringent critic agreed.

Decanter called the Paul Hobbs Coombsville Cab “one of the most elegant Cabernets of the 2019 vintage” in their 96-point review. That is not a statement that I would take lightly. Considering that the 2019 vintage in Napa was considered nearly perfect and one of Napa’s best in a quarter century, it’s pretty significant praise being heaped on this bottle. They’re not alone.