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 Chardonnay is a beautifully balanced offering that gets much of its chutzpah from stainless steel fermentation and five months of lees stirring and aging in used French oak barrels- virtually the same protocol as his $60 Russian River Valley Chardonnay. While still showing a bit of youthful tang, it’s a wine that shows an uncommon amount of finesse and punches way over its weight class. In comparison with several other like-priced Sonoma Coast Chardonnays we know, it impresses for its freshness as well as its persistence. At under $30 a bottle, you can drink this all day and then open another! A case is NOT too much.