Lovers of this up-and-coming Central Coast winegrowing region already know that there’s a lot more to Paso Robles these days than just Zin and Syrah as a new wave of wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon has really been turning heads over the past few years.  There has been a minor land rush as some of the Napa Valley’s most visible and important wineries have planted their flags also in the vast rolling hills that run on either side of Highway 101.  One of latest has been the pioneering Mount Veeder winery Hess Collection.  While they’ve long bottled wines from the Central Coast, they’ve finally finished their development of a new organically-farmed vineyard for the Bordeaux varieties in Paso and have just debuted one of the best value Cabernet-based wines we’ve tried from the region to date!  Called Maverick Ranches, the debut 2020 is an enticingly gulp-able blend of lusciously ripe Cabernet Sauvignon and darker, sterner Petite Verdot (22% of the blend).  It wowed us for not only the intensity and vividness of its fruit but also for its smooth, gorgeously round palate and surprisingly structured palate.  Lovers of new wave Paso wines like Austin Hope and Daou Reserve, for example, will find a lot to love in the Hess Maverick Ranch’s lavish blackberry-like fruit and its broad, palate-coating chocolate-mocha, mint, vanilla and pipe tobacco notes.  The Petite Verdot makes its contribution felt in both the wine’s dark, deeply-pitched nuances of blue- and boysenberry and its finishing acidity and tannin which give verve and structure to a wine that revels in all of Paso’s abundant sunshine.  While we know you’ll love drinking this thoroughly enjoyable Paso Robles Cab with a big Porterhouse off the grill, it’s priced well enough for hamburgers, ribs and pork chops as well.  And some Cab lovers out there may decide just not serve it with anything else at all other than a large glass!  It’s a fine deal, especially if you take advantage of the case special.