When Paul Hobbs set out to create a value-priced stable of wines to balance out his high-priced estate and single-vineyard offerings, he approached the project with the same single-minded intensity and meticulousness that have made the Hobbs label one of California’s (and Argentina’s) most appreciated. In fact, the wines go through much the same regimen as do his estate bottlings- it’s just that they’re sourced from not only his estate vineyards but from a wider variety of sustainably or organically farmed sites, some whose grapes don’t carry the same price tags of Paul’s single-vineyard wines. His current lineup of CrossBarn wines represents the pinnacle of both value and quality for this ultra-special project: all of the class and elan of the eponymous Paul Hobbs wines at a fraction of the cost. Here is a duo of undeniable bargains you’ll love opening for family and friends for years to come.

*The 2021 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon wine is nails! There is a sense of polish and finesse in whatever Hobbs touches, and this extreme value is actually sourced from a who’s-who of Sonoma’s best sources, vineyards that typically fetch triple-digit prices and get nosebleed scores in a lot of other wines. There is no reason, therefore, why it shouldn’t be great. And it is. We were impressed, for a start, just with the color; an inky dark holding untold depths of ripe blackberry, red currant, mint-chocolate, blackberry bramble and cedar box. Middle weight running to full on the palate, the tannins are ripe and frame some lovely wild berry, allspice and tobacco flavors. Great acidity keeps the balance in check and it’s a thoroughly lovely drink right now. Most don’t buy Hobbs’ CrossBarn wines to cellar, but I can tell you that if a few bottles got lost down there for a few years, it wouldn’t be a disaster!