The deep garnet color speaks to the strength of the 2020 Nathan Coombs Estate vintage. The aromas of juicy, ripe blackberries and blackcurrants are complemented by dark chocolate, leather and sweet tobacco. The vineyard's signature graphite and anise spices continue on the palate. The wine is bold, structured and complex, with the freshness and energy of the cool southern Napa Valley. A dry winter began with less than half the average precipitation, leading to a mild spring and early bud break. Summer began with relatively mild temperatures, allowing the fruit to ripen slowly on the vines, resulting in full phenolic maturity. Continuous heat waves, plus rare thunderstorms in mid-August, led to the start of harvest two weeks earlier than average. All grapes were hand-picked within seven weeks, and despite many challenging conditions, our skilled team worked patiently through every step of the way, meticulously harvesting, sorting and barrel selection. Some wines do not meet our quality standards, but the few that remain are full of character, with great energy and depth of flavor. Paul Hobbs began his winemaking career in 1978 at Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley. Over the next 25 years, he honed his skills and expertise at Mondavi, Opus One, Simi Winery in Sonoma County, and as a winemaking consultant in Chile and Argentina. During this time, Paul frequently traveled to the major wine regions of Europe, where he gained additional skills and ideas. Paul founded Paul Hobbs Winery in California in 1991, Viña Cobos in Argentina in 1999, and Crossburn Winery in California in 2000. Growing up as one of 11 children, Paul's love of vineyards began in 1969 when grapes were first planted on his family's farm in upstate New York. Seeing Paul's dedication to his work, his father immediately made him head of grape growing. Paul first tasted and experienced wines from around the world while attending the University of Notre Dame. This sparked his passion for his lifelong career as a winemaker. In 1975, he enrolled in a Master's in Food Science at UC Davis's Department of Enology. His master's thesis, written on oak barrel aging, attracted considerable attention from the premium wine community. Even today, Paul's knowledge of barrels is unmatched, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is a master of barrel wine. The late Robert Mondavi, who recognized Paul's talent, immediately hired him as a research technician. In 1979, Paul was promoted to winemaker at the winery. In 1981, he was assigned to the winemaking team at Opus One, where he remained for four years. In 1985, Paul joined Sonoma's historic Simi Winery as assistant winemaker. One of his first assignments was to create a new style of Cabernet Sauvignon. By treating the vineyards and the fruit with care and gentleness, he was able to create a richer, more supple wine that caught the attention of critics and consumers alike. In 1989, he became Vice President and Winemaker, which was his first opportunity to lead the winemaking program of a premium California winery. In 1991, together with several partners, he founded Paul Hobbs Winery in Sonoma, specializing in craft wines and single vineyard wines from Napa and Sonoma. The winery, designed by a top architect, was completed in 2003 and surrounds the winery on 14 acres of his own vineyards named "Lindsay", planted to Pinot Noir. In 1999, Paul founded Viña Cobos Winery in Mendoza, Argentina. Here, they produce ultra-premium wines from Marchioli Vineyards, which is highly regarded for its old vines, as well as value-range wines from Felino and Bramare, which are easy to drink. In 2000, they launched the Crossburn brand, and now they have built a winery in Sonoma and are teaching young winemakers the know-how of winemaking at Crossburn Winery. In December 2000, Paul was named "Winemaker of the year" by the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, and in 2004, he was named "Most Portant Winemaker in California" by The Quarterly Review of Wines. In 2013, he was named "The Steve Jobs of Wine" by the American economic magazine Forbes. Recently, Paul has also been growing Riesling in the Finger Lakes region of New York, his hometown.