2020 Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

98 POINTS: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the famous gravelly loam soils of Beckstoffer Dr Crane in the St. Helena AVA. This is a site that consistently delivers a gorgeous Cabernet, almost no matter the producer. Still, in the capable hands of Paul Hobbs, even in a challenging year like 2020, when many producers opted not to bottle their fruit, this wine radiates balance, pleasure, depth, and curiosity. A burst of classic, dusty, iron-like Dr Crane minerality is accompanied by sagebrush after a cool winter rain, spearmint, and cedar spices. Pure, silken, energetic and layered with red, black, and blue-toned fruits, dark chocolate, and gravelly, fine-grained tannins with a firm backbone of racy acidity. Long, lean, and built for the long haul.