California Wine Advisors

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.

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...

A hedonistic, collector-grade Napa blend that’s both sumptuous and refined. The bouquet delivers black cherry, plum, espresso, cocoa, anise, florals, and sweet tobacco. On the palate, it is velvety and deeply delicious; plush blackberry and dark-chocolate richness, plus impeccably balanced, finishing long with a polished graham-cracker/s’more nuance. Decant prior to 2028 and enjoy through 2032+.

Fidelio continues its assent to the summit of California Sauvignon Blanc with this 2025 vintage that radiates lush tropical fruit and electric freshness. The palate is vivid and energetic, layered with notes of creamy lime, white nectarine, and flashes of zesty ginger. Few Sauvignon Blancs from California deliver this much personality, intensity, and sheer drinkability....

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.

Another blockbuster Cabernet release from Napa’s dynamic duo of genius winemaker Celia Welch and viticulturalist Mike Wolf. The sumptuous new 2022 edition boast and array of delicious ripe fruit (blueberry, plum, and figs) plus hints of semi-sweet dark chocolate and exotic spices on the finish that are a delightful result of the traces of Malbec...

Truly superb and a tremendous crowd-pleaser (thriller actually!). An array of awe-inspiring flavors launch forth to combine for a velvety rich Cabernet that dazzles with statuesque proportions of creamy vanilla, graham cracker, mocha, cassis, and dark fruit. A luxuriously smooth texture builds up to a majestic crescendo of black currant, dark chocolate and classic grainy...

The 2021 Timeless is a striking, Bordeaux-inspired wine that impresses with its structure and savory complexity. Full-bodied and intense, it showcases grainy tannins that frame a core of dark fruit, fresh herbs, cracked pepper, and earthy spice. Vibrant and beautifully structured, this is a serious, classically styled wine with exceptional poise and persistence. – California...