TEXAN WINE THE WINERIES

Paul Hobbs Winery

Paul Hobbs is a legend of sorts in Napa Valley as he was on the winemaking team for the very first bottling of the iconic Opus One in 1979.

He left Mondavi in 1984 for Simi and eventually started his own winery with the 1991 vintage. Having quite the established network, his lineup of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon includes some of the most sought after (and exclusive) vineyards. Aside from Napa stalwarts, he also makes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sonoma under the Paul Hobbs label. I should note he owns eight wineries in all, most recently acquiring a winery in the Finger Lakes wine region in upstate New York.

The Paul Hobbs tasting room is sleek and modern, situated within the estate vineyards near the city of Sebastopol in Sonoma County. We were greeted with a glass of the Paul Hobbs 2017 Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine to sip through the introductions. At the table our wine glasses were perfectly arranged and a tempting charcuterie board of cheese, sausage, and crackers was served to help refresh the palate and highlight various aspects of the wines. Our host even took care to briefly decant each wine before serving it. Between that, the fine stemware, and the stunning vineyard views it became impossible to resist getting caught up in the moment.

We started our tasting with two 2020 Sonoma Chardonnays, a “Richard Dinner Vineyard” from Sonoma Mountain and the “Ross Station” from Russian River Valley, wrapping up the Sonoma wines with a 2020 Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast “Cleary Estate” vineyard.

The first Napa Cabernet Sauvignon was the 2019 Coombsville (a blend of vineyards from the Coombsville AVA), then we tasted the 2019 Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, one of those exclusive vineyards mentioned above. I enjoyed all the wines, but the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane is simply one of the best young Cabernets I have ever tasted.

Paradigm Winery

I booked Paradigm because I consider them part of the “old school” Napa crowd. The owner, Ren Harris, was a key figure in the history of Napa Valley from the 1970s onward. He started as a farmer, then bought this estate and slowly remade it into his own vision. Unlike many estates, Paradigm only uses grapes they grow themselves. They control everything. Famed winemaker Heidi Barrett has been crafting Paradigm wines for 32 years. Ren noted, “We are the only original customer of hers left.” Paradigm has never expanded, and they don’t intend to. It’s one of the truest family estate wineries I have ever seen. I even received a handwritten thank you note from Ren’s wife Marilyn after my visit. The beauty of this tasting was that Ren took the time to sit with us and tell story after story of the early days in Napa. It was beyond fascinating, as if the wines were an afterthought. It was like no other tasting we had. Make no mistake, the wines are delicious. The Rosé of Merlot is intriguing because these Merlot grapes are grown specifically for this rosé, using a “Vin Gris” method to extract a little color in the pressing. We tasted both the 2019 and 2016 Cabernets – which are classic Napa Cabs. I was dying to taste the Cabernet Franc, so they graciously poured a taste of that too. I loved it!

I must mention the Zinfandel because it is a passion of Ren’s. It harkens back to his youth, making wine in the family basement. It is an un- derstatement to say he loves his Zinfandel. When I casually mentioned I was generally not a great fan of Zinfandel, he immediately said, “Oh, you’re tasting the Zinfandel.” Hah! I admit I enjoyed it very much. It is a wine all Zinfandel lovers should try. As a bonus to wine buyers, their wines have remained reasonably priced given the high quality. These are must-try wines for Napa lovers.