Paul Hobbs, Cristina's Signature - Napa Valley 2020

Paul Hobbs, Cristina's Signature - Napa Valley 2020

Pioneering winemaker Paul Hobbs established his eponymous winery in Sebastopol, Calif. in 1991. Guided by his vision and dedication to showcasing terroir, the winery is continuously refining the art of winemaking utilizing minimal intervention practices and meticulous vineyard management. Today, Paul crafts some of Napa Valley’s highly sought after cabernet sauvignons, in addition to world-class pinot noir and chardonnay from cool-climate, coastal influenced sites in Sonoma County. The rocky, volcanic soils prevalent throughout our site and the Coombsville AVA lend a distinct minerality to wines produced from this region. Nathan Coombs Estate contains volcanic tuff which is a sedimentary rock made of compacted volcanic ash, and igneous rock, which is formed by the cooling of magma. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in these rocky, well-drained soils, developing complex, elegant fruit.

The 2020 vintage is the inaugural vintage of Cristina’s Signature. This wine was created by Paul Hobbs’ wife, Cristina.

The 2020 vintage

Weather conditions

A dry winter started the season with less than half the region’s average rainfall leading to a mild spring and early season bud break. Summer began with relatively moderate temperatures resulting in good phenolic development, allowing fruit to ripen and mature slowly on the vine. Consecutive heat spells coupled with a rare mid-August lightning storm accelerated the start of harvest two weeks earlier than average. All fruit was hand-harvested within seven weeks, and although challenging on many fronts, our highly skilled team persevered at every stage and excelled in their meticulous picking, sorting, and barrel selections. While some wines will not be produced as they did not meet our standards for quality, those that were are in very small quantities, ensuring the limited remaining bottlings showcase their full character with great energy, depth of flavor, and focus.

Tasting notes

Exhibiting a deep garnet hue, our 2020 Cristina’s Signature captivates with a lush bouquet of crushed blackberry, wild sage, fresh cigar box, and a delicate tobacco leaf note. The palate is remarkably balanced with elegant, supple tannins and fresh acidity that wraps around red currant, dark chocolate, and boysenberry alongside subtle notes of dried herbs and vanilla. The seamlessly layered mid-palate provides tension through the long, complex finish.