From one of my favorite sites (because of its similarity to a top vintage of La Mission Haut Brion), the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard exhibits classic notes of burning embers, hot gravel, steel, blueberries, flowers and blackberries followed by an intense, full-bodied, profoundly concentrated wine. This riveting effort should drink nicely for 25+ years. There is a flinty underpinning to this offering that comes from the 20-acre vineyard in St. Helena. Despite being aged in 100% new oak, there is no evidence of wood in the aromatic or flavor profiles. This profound Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is as grand as the 2007. 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