Paul Hobbs at Katherine Lindsay Estate in Sebastopol, California, which is the home of Paul Hobbs Winery.Viña Cobos
American vintner Paul Hobbs, who has helped high-profile wineries around the world improve their quality while operating his own ventures in Argentina, France and the United States, has a quick answer about which project is the most exciting to him: “It’s always the newest one.”
In this instance, he’s delighted to share details about Hillick & Hobbs, which produces riesling in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. The Seneca Lake winery is named after his parents, Joan Hillick and Edward Hobbs, who met at nearby Cornell University.
“We have learned a lot since we planted the vineyard in 2014 to today,” Hobbs explains. “It is the only winery that I have started, out of seven of them, where I thought it was necessary to put in a vineyard from scratch.”
Planting vines in the rocky soils, on the steep site that slopes down to the lake, has been a challenge. Twenty-two acres have been planted, with the potential to double the size of the vineyard on the property. “It requires a lot of thought and energy, but it’s exciting to see it taking root,” says Hobbs.
One of 11 children, Hobbs grew up on the family’s 600-acre fruit farm in Niagara County, north of Buffalo. After college, he got his start in wine as an intern at Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville, Calif., in 1977. He went from a lab assistant position to winemaking at the iconic Napa Valley winery before being selected as a key member of the team that launched Opus One, the revolutionary Napa Valley winery created by partners Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild from Bordeaux in 1984. This Franco-American joint venture ushered in a new era of collaboration in fine wine circles.
Hobbs' Viña Cobos Chañares Estate. The American vintner says Argentina is very exciting and that he has just signed on a new vineyard that’s over 60 hectares into our portfolio.Sebastian Sena/Viña Cobos
Other winemaking jobs brought Hobbs to different cellars in California while the Catena family in Argentina was his first international consulting gig, which opened his eyes to the potential of malbec grown in the foothills of the Andes mountains.
Working for others, Hobbs’s belief – that the most interesting wines come from grapes that have been cultivated with care and attention – became cemented. Wherever he is working, he seeks out the best vineyards he can find.
It also inspired him to start his own operation, Paul Hobbs Winery in California, in 1991. Viña Cobos was launched in Mendoza, Argentina, in 1999 and continues to expand its production. “Argentina is extremely exciting as well,” Hobbs says. “There’s so much happening there. … We have just signed on a new vineyard that’s over 60 hectares into our portfolio and I have some other developments that I can’t even talk about yet.”
In California, Hobbs owns eight vineyards in California’s Napa and Sonoma counties where he grows grapes for his portfolio of cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and pinot noir. He also has partnerships in Cahors, France (Crocus), Armenia (Yacoubian-Hobbs) and Galicia, Spain (Alvaredos-Hobbs).
Viña Cobos winery in Argentina. A wide selection of wines produced by Hobbs’s wineries in California and Mendoza are released this month through the LCBO.SENA Sebastian/Viña Cobos
Prior to the pandemic, Hobbs worked tirelessly as a consultant winemaker with a revolving client list of up to 35 wineries, including producers in Argentina, Canada, Chile, France, Uruguay and the United States. He credits the time he spent working with Stratus Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake with helping to start his riesling project in the Finger Lakes. (“Stratus gave some fuel to the fire to do something in New York,” he explains. “It reacquainted me with cool climate viticulture.”)
Now in his 70th year, Hobbs continues to expand the scope of his business. If he singles out his latest project as the most stimulating, it’s because there’s the most to be learned there. “I think any time you go into a new area, you’re going to have trial and error,” he says. “And, you’re going to have a lot of errors …”
He doesn’t see those setbacks as a negative as they often lead to new discoveries and broaden the winemaking teams’ understanding of their role. “There’s still a lot for us to learn and do,” he says. “There’s always room to improve.”
A wide selection of wines produced by Hobbs’s wineries in California and Mendoza are released this month through the LCBO. In addition to a trio of wines that are featured at LCBO Vintages outlets, there will be a virtual offer via vintagesshoponline.com starting Oct. 26.
Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Napa Valley Cabernet 2019 (United States), $84.95
Operating out of a winery based in Sebastopol, Calif., Paul Hobbs launched the Crossbarn label in 2000 for wines produced in Napa and Sonoma. This satisfying cabernet is a blend of grapes grown in vineyards around Napa, ranging from warmer vineyards in the north to the cooler pockets to the south. The core of ripe fruit suggesting a mix of blueberry and blackberry notes and plush, silky texture make this balanced and approachable upon release, but with the stuffing to age. Drink now to 2029. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in Alberta.
Viña Cobos Chañares Estate Malbec 2019 (Argentina), $100
The Chañares Estate is in Los Árboles in the Uco Valley, a high-elevation vineyard that is mostly planted to malbec with some cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. The site delivers an appealing fragrant and flavourful expression of malbec, with violet and ripe red fruit mixing with spice and cedar notes. The style is fresh and intense, with beautiful balance and length. Drink now to 2030. Available in Ontario through vintagesshoponline.com staring Oct. 26.
Viña Cobos Vinculum Malbec 2019 (Argentina), $69.95
This satisfying red wine is a multiregional blend of malbec grapes grown in the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo, which shows ripe, concentrated cherry and berry flavours with spice notes. On the palate, this is nicely integrated, with a polished texture and refreshing finish. Drink now to 2029. Available in Ontario through vintagesshoponline.com starting Oct. 26.