2003 Paul Hobbs Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard Oakville Napa Valley

Given its winemaker, it is no surprise that this opulent offering is long on ripeness and positively enveloping oak. What sets it apart from both the crowd and its kin is its astonishingly deep and expansive fruit. Its explosive, black currant and vanilla aromas and its powerful, loamy, oak-laden flavors are keyed on classic Cabernet and are only secondarily defined by ripeness, and its immense impressions of chewy extracts come without undue toughness or heat. This wine is a must for collectors of first-echelon Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ruby-red. Brooding aromas of cassis, violet and bitter chocolate. Sweet but tightly wound, with a flavor of crystallized dark berries framed by juicy acidity. Finishes with very fine, noble tannins and enticing lingering sweetness.