Paul Hobbs - Pinot Noir Russian River 2020

Jeb Dunnuck

The quintessential 2020 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is flush with cola spice, grenadine, and sappy forest floor, while the palate opens with generous ripe red fruits of cherry, beet root, and cinnamon.

Wine Spectator

James Suckling

An attractive nose of ripe red fruit and berries, fresh mint and black licorice. Medium-to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins and a smooth texture. Bright, citrus-like acidity that adds a lot of life to the flavors of fresh colored flowers and ripe red cherries. Good intensity and balance. Drink or hold.d.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Medium ruby-purple, the 2020 Pinot Noir is scented of cranberries, underbrush, tobacco leaves and woodsmoke. The palate is light-bodied, silky and bright with earth-laced fruits and a long, spicy finish.

I visited Paul Hobbs and his winemaker Jennie Murphy in the spring of 2022 at the winery in Sebastopol. We tasted through the 2019s and barrel samples of the 2020 vintage, speaking extensively about the wildfires and how they approached the challenges of the season. “The fires started just before harvest on August 17, at the worst possible moment,” they remembered. Fortunately, there was no physical threat from the fire at the winery in Sebastopol, and Paul said areas in Sonoma County affected by coastal winds remained relatively clear. Most of their Napa Valley grapes had been harvested by mid-October when the Glass Fire began dumping smoke into the valley, although over 100 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon were lost. Harvest took place 10-12 days earlier than normal, and yields are down about 15% overall. There will be no Katherine Lindsay Estate or Cuvée Agustina in 2020. “We did all the testing, but those markers are only moderately helpful; they’re not a guarantee,” Paul explained. “If the numbers are high, there is a good chance you have a problem, but when they are baseline, you may still have a problem. With smoke taint, it’s easy [to tell when] you actually perceive ashiness on the palate or some impact on the aroma. But in many cases, it mutes or suppresses the true character of the wine, and you can’t identify it as smoke per se.” In 2017, the effect of smoke on the grapes was obvious, he recalled, but in 2020, things were in “more of a grey zone,” and some lots didn’t show overt damage. Bordeaux varieties in particular will be closely monitored in the cellar until bottling. “It takes time for problems to show up, and the wine could taste fine the first 6-8 months,” Paul said. “We condemned one lot after 14 months, and there were issues with Pinot Noir that had to be bulked out. If there’s any doubt about smoke taint, we would rather play it safe.” From a winemaking perspective, grapes were delicately crushed, and whole cluster usage in Pinot Noir was maximized. “It’s all hypothesis and trial and error,” Jennie said. “Whole cluster is a tool, and I thought it could help. Scientifically speaking, whether it has a cleansing effect is in debate, but it is certainly conceivable.” Like many winemakers in California, they pointed out that they have learned a lot from previous fires and even more in 2020. “We would of course prefer not to have to deal with fires,” Paul quipped. “But we are better equipped today than before.” Economically, both the winery and the grape grower can take a big loss when grapes are damaged by smoke. “You’ve worked all year and suddenly it’s bulk wine,” he lamented. “It’s a hit to our company and a hit to the growers. So if we think the risk is minimal, we are going to move forward, because that’s part of being a good neighbor to our growers. We looked at everything in 2020 and thought we had a good chance. If there's a chance it will work, let's protect our workforce—we are all in this together.