California Wine Advisors

The 2015 vintage of Ampersand is an intoxicating, ultra-rich and silky wine full of blackberry, plum, baking spice and sage. On the palate, velvety tannins give way to notes of cocoa, espresso, vanilla and tobacco, leading to a majestic finish. Enjoy now with a hearty decant or until 2030.

This spectacular new Reserve bottling is a brilliant example of why connoisseurs adore Napa’s 2019 vintage. The velvety smooth texture and plush tannins (plus creamy new oak) introduce a powerful core of dark cherry, cassis and pipe tobacco on the front palate with hints of roasted espresso beans. The ultra-rich finish features luxurious notes of...

Another extremely well-rounded and superbly delicious Cabernet from Macauley, who blend special lots from their impressive stable of vineyards to create this Reserve cuveé. Explosive aromas of creamy oak, blackberry, vanilla and espresso to start. The lavish, velvety texture is so polished and luxurious. On the palate there’s loads of ripe fruit with dark espresso...

A superb bargain that delivers on every level, this wine is delicious and impressively well built, with a super juicy bouquet of strawberry, black cherry, and flashy blueberry. The palate is packed with ripe, brambly black and blue fruits, lifted by high-toned brightness and balanced by creamy oak. Notes of vanilla and dark cocoa add...

As Hobbs himself notes, he was given first choice of the blocks in Andy Beckstoffer’s famous ‘Grand Cru’ site in western St Helena. The Dr Crane continues to be the most dominant of the lineup of thoroughbreds in Hobbs’ Cabernet portfolio with its array of flavors that will dazzle fans of Napa Valley at its...

This delightfully impressive debut bottling features a velvety texture and sumptuous notes of of black raspberries, truffles and chocolate mints that lead to Havana leaf tobacco and baking spices on the gorgeous finish. This well-balanced wine already shows firm, ripe, finely grained tannins and bold freshness supporting the energetic, crunchy black fruits, finishing long and...

From the southern valley where it’s cooler, the Nathan Coombs estate Cabernet again shows impressive poise and concentration. The dark color and dense berry flavors show the influence of the site, which Hobbs harnesses to craft an exotic, layered wine. Absolutely thrilling to sip now, but will be even more enjoyable in 5-7 years.

A stunningly complex wine with hints of  licorice and Italian herbs. Muscular and intense with a deep complex mix of leather and cigar. Grippy tannins reveal gorgeous oak, a long finish and a mid-palate that just lingers.

This ultra-rich and luscious Cabernet offers waves of bold and racy dark fruit including plum, currants and blackberry leading to baking chocolate and toasted oak. On the palate it opens up into further depths with mocha, cassis, blackberry jam and a concentrated ripeness that builds up with an exotic spicy edge. It crescendos into a...

Ultra-rich and velvety smooth texture with layers of dense dark fruit and an enticing finish that includes notes of mocha and espresso lasting a full minute. This is a real blockbuster but micro-production was super limited so jump on this tiny bandwagon asap.