Gorgeous soft lemon fruit. Chalk and fine detailed fruit. Lush but precise. Long intense and classy. Gorgeous — a month ago
Pineapple, soft minerality with a honey sweetness. Slightly off dry, (to my taste) and provides perfect structural balance throughout — 2 months ago
Paul Hobbs – Pinot Noir / 2023
Russian River Valley AVA – Sonoma County / California / USA 🇺🇸
Overview
100% Pinot Noir from select vineyard sites across the Russian River Valley. A refined, cool-climate expression that balances depth, structure, and elegance, showcasing Paul Hobbs’ precision-driven style.
Aromas & Flavors
Ripe red and dark cherry, raspberry, and plum, layered with subtle baking spice, vanilla, and a touch of forest floor. Oak is present but beautifully restrained, more of a whisper than a statement.
Mouthfeel
Medium+ body with a silky, polished texture. Structured yet graceful, with fine tannins and vibrant acidity. The wine moves seamlessly across the palate, fluid, lifted, and balanced.
Food Pairings
Duck breast, roasted chicken, mushroom risotto, grilled salmon, or earthy dishes with herbs.
Verdict
A Pinot Noir that bridges complexity and drinkability. Layered and structured, yet effortlessly elegant, this is Russian River precision at a high level.
🍷 Did You Know?
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir owes much of its finesse to diurnal shifts, warm days build ripeness, while cool, foggy nights preserve acidity and aromatic detail.
🍷 Personal Pick
This is where Pinot becomes expressive without trying too hard. The oak is dialed in, the texture is silky, and the balance is spot on. It doesn’t shout, it truly danced in my palate! Cheers! — 6 months ago
Ruby red color with aromas of ripe red fruits and floral spice, aged in concrete for 6-8 months and bottled with a light, non-sterile filtration and minimal sulfur. On the palate flavors of black raspberry and black cherry with floral notes. Medium+ finish, fine tannins, ending with fruit and spice. Good value! — 15 days ago
Lush and velvety and plump. It’s hard to say restrained fruit forward but that’s what it feels like. It’s not an overwhelming fruit bomb, but it’s a smack you in the face with just the right amount of subtlety. Good structure, even though you can’t even tell any tans or acid or present, deep like almost inky black color. It’s surprising because I found it light and my wife found it heavy and both are right. It actually did not go with our dinner have an Italian style steak with arugula and Parmesan, that’s not the wine‘s fault it’s me choosing the wrong line. Silken expressive, but I don’t wanna call it constrained more like concentrated expression of the wine versus something dynamic and evolving. Absolutely delicious, but also heady and overwhelming.  — 2 months ago
A little too much oxidation sadly — 6 months ago
This was insanely good. So well balanced. Had with Thai food. — 6 months ago
Some new oak (12 months in oak casks) nicely frames this lovely red-fruited, Grenache-driven CdP, suave, nicely balanced, long, lingering finish, the 1990 CdPs were riper than the 1989s and 1988s, but this is 14% ABV and shows some nice restraint, and is really quite wonderful!! BTW, this was one of the luxury cuvées of CdP that started showing up in 1989/1990, the regular CdP is simply called Beaurenard (this is bottle # 2074, so I’d guess maybe 2,000 cases or so?) — 14 days ago
Blend of about 66% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties, Medium Ruby color with aromas of ripe black fruits and earthy pepper spice. On the palate complex rich flavors of cherry and blackberry, with oak, leather, cacao and earthy spice. Full body, well balanced, fine tannins, long finish, perfect now but will last another decade. Outstanding! — 6 days ago
Amazing Beckstoffer Cab — a month ago
Clos des Lunes "Lune d'Argent" 2024. Bordeaux Blanc – Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷
Overview
A classic Bordeaux Blanc crafted from 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, produced by Clos des Lunes, the white wine estate of the Bernard family (SC Domaine de Chevalier) in one of Bordeaux's finest white wine terroirs. While still in its youth, the 2024 vintage already reveals exceptional balance, precision, and elegance. Its beautifully integrated texture hints at an even brighter future with a few years of bottle age.
Aromas & Flavors
Expressive aromas of white peach, ripe citrus, honeysuckle, lemon blossom, and fresh herbs unfold alongside subtle notes of wet stone and flint. The palate is layered yet remarkably refined, where the richness of Sémillon meets the freshness and lift of Sauvignon Blanc.
Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with a silky, almost creamy texture balanced by vibrant acidity. Despite its youthful structure, the edges are already remarkably soft, leading to a long, mineral-driven finish that lingers with freshness rather than weight.
Food Pairings
A natural companion for oysters, scallops, lobster, grilled prawns, sea bass, Dover sole, or creamy goat cheese. Its precision and elegance make it an outstanding seafood wine.
Verdict
Another outstanding vintage that continues the remarkable consistency of Clos des Lunes. The 2024 is tighter than the 2023 but noticeably more polished, combining youthful energy with impressive finesse. Delicious today, yet clearly built to reward three to six years of cellaring.
Did You Know?
Clos des Lunes is owned by the Bernard family, also proprietors of the prestigious Domaine de Chevalier in Pessac-Léognan. Although produced under the Bordeaux Blanc appellation, the estate applies many of the same meticulous vineyard and cellar practices that have made Domaine de Chevalier one of Bordeaux's benchmark producers of dry white wine.
🍷 Personal Pick
This has quietly become one of the cornerstone whites in my cellar. I've followed several vintages, and each one seems to refine the style even further. The 2024 impressed me with its precision, softer edges, and seamless balance despite its youth. It's one of those bottles I never hesitate to recommend, beautiful now with seafood, but patient enthusiast will be rewarded with even greater complexity in a few years.
— 2 months ago
A small portion of Pinot Noir (which makes up approximately 80% of the blend) still wine is added for color; the balance is Chardonnay. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The Grand Rosé pours a pretty pink color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of raspberry, red apple, a mix of orchard citrus fruit, marzipan, a hint of brioche and lovely minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and round. Very easy to like. Drink now. Disgorged February of 2025. — 6 months ago

Light-med body, dry, acidic. Mineral cherry soil. — 7 months ago
Paul J
1hr+ decant. Wow! One of my best Paul Hobbs Cabs ever. Dark fruit, Napa sweetness, with excellent terroir. Medium plus depth and finish. Reminds me of Pontet-Canet. — 15 days ago