2011 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Katherine Lindsay Estate Vineyard Cuvée Agustina

The 2011 Pinot Noir Cuvee Agustina Katherine Lindsay Estate (155 cases produced) should be the better wine as Paul Hobbs no doubt created it from the best barrels from the Katherine Lindsay vineyard. It shows meaty, charcuterie, bouquet garni notes intermixed with darker fruits, as well as more wood and a more structured feel, which kept me from scoring it as high as its sibling (which is much less expensive). Paul Hobbs has built quite an empire, both as a worldwide respected wine consultant and as the owner of his winery in Sonoma Valley. I reviewed his Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon cuvees in Issue 209, and on this visit I tasted through his 2011 and 2012 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs as well as a few Syrahs. His wines consistently hit all the high notes, and Hobbs continues to be a serious talent. I particularly enjoy his Cross Barn, inexpensive Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The 2011 Chardonnays range from tiny productions of 138 cases for the Ulises Valdez to 3,600 for the Russian River Chardonnay. The 2012s all reveal the tremendous up-front fruit characteristics of this year along with surprisingly high average alcohols, and good fresh acids. Paul Hobbs has introduced two Cross Barn Pinot Noir cuvees, one from the Sonoma Coast and one from Anderson Valley. These wines use a tiny bit of stems during their fermentations, and spend four months in barrel, 15% of which is new. Tasting through these same cuvees in 2012 demonstrated just how gorgeous this vintage is across the board in Northern California. Tel. (707) 824-9879

The 2011 Pinot Noir Cuvee Agustina Katherine Lindsay Estate is a powerhouse in this vintage. A wine that depends on richness and weight, the 2011 certainly has plenty of size, but less in the way of complexity, at least today. If the wine becomes more complex over time, it might merit a higher score, but today my preference is for the straight Lindsay Estate bottling.

Bright ruby-red. A perfumed, vibrant nose displays cherry pit, blackberry, espresso, rose and allspice. Lively and focused, with a firm acid spine and pronounced minerality brightening the dark berry and floral flavors. Dense but energetic, with very good finishing clarity, cling and subtle, fine-grained tannins.