Paul Hobbs
Paul Hobbs grew up as a farmer. His upbringing involved the daily discipline of planting, harvesting, and selling crops on markets before school. It was during this time that Paul was introduced to the concept of terroir. Tasting apples of the same variety but grown in different soils left a lasting impression on him, igniting his passion for vineyard-specific winemaking.
Paul initially aspired to follow in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, Edward James, who was a doctor. He enrolled at Notre Dame University with the intention of studying medicine but, after completing his chemistry degree, his father convinced him to pursue winemaking instead. Paul ultimately earned a Master's degree in Viticulture and Enology.
After his involvement in the launch of Opus One, he worked as a winemaker at Simi Winery and consulted at renowned estates such as Lewis Cellars and Peter Michael as well as Bodegas Catena (Argentina). These experiences deepened his expertise and reinforced his idea that nurturing exceptional vineyards leads to the creation of captivating wines. Guided by this vision, Paul set out to produce wines from single vineyards that reflect the distinct terroirs of California's most captivating vineyard sites.
In 1991, Paul reached out to Larry Hyde in Napa and Richard Dinner in Sonoma, both esteemed figures in viticulture, to purchase a large amount Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines became the inaugural releases of Paul Hobbs Winery, amongst others the Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard and Cabernet Sauvignon Hyde Vineyard.
Today Paul Hobbs winery is a renowned winery making 20+ different wines each vintage. Wthout exception, these are all high scoring wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard scored the maximum of 100 points (Parker) in 2013, 2014 and 2016.
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