2012 Paul Hobbs Syrah Kick Ranch Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Layers of dark, inky fruit, spices and French oak flow across the palate in the 2012 Syrah Kick Ranch Vineyard. This is another deep, powerful Syrah built on a core of super-ripe fruit and pure resonance. Today the oak is a bit prominent. It will be interesting to see how things come together over the next year.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Deeper, richer and more profound is the 2012 Syrah Kick Ranch. This barrel sample reveals terrific intensity along with a floral component interwoven with notes of blackberry liqueur, charcoal and a hint of espresso roast. Full-bodied and juicy with velvety tannins, this super-effort should drink nicely for a decade or more. (Not yet released) 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
About the producer
Paul Hobbs is one of California wine’s biggest names. Twice named Wine Personality of the Year by Robert Parker, he joined Robert Mondavi in 1977, worked at Opus One and Simi before setting up his eponymous winery in 1991.