CrossBarn Chardonnay 2013, Sonoma Coast
Cost: $24-26
S ometimes the wine makes the occasion and sometimes the occasion makes the wine. Then there are those wonderful, rare moments when the wine and the occasion are superb and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
That happened to me recently when we spent a weekend at Thurmond Lake with friends. It rained much of the weekend, so mostly we stayed inside, talked, read, worked a jigsaw puzzle, ate and drank good wine. It was the kind of weekend you dream about but mostly never experience.
The CrossBarn Chardonnay by Paul Hobbs certainly added to the pleasure of the weekend. Paul Hobbs is one of the most honored winemakers in the world, working with his own vineyards and collaborating with other grape growers.
Wines from Paul Hobbs Winery, Vina Cobos and other Hobbs’ projects can be expensive and difficult to find. But with the CrossBarn label, a Paul Hobbs wine is within reach of every wine drinker.
The CrossBarn Chardonnay turned a good meal into a rollicking feast. My friend Tim brought a brisket for the main course one night. He and I put on a spicy dry rub and let it sit overnight. Then we put it on the charcoal cooker at a low temperature for about six hours. It was fork tender and great with a CrossBarn Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley that we also loved.
I steamed some crab legs for the first course and thought the Chardonnay pairing with the crab was the star of the weekend.
The Chardonnay was textured and lush, but it had enough acidity and structure to keep it from being flabby. Everything was in balance. It opened with a subtle aroma of pears and flowers. On the palate there were layers of citrus and minerals with some Fuji apples and white peach. The finish was crisp and memorable.
The grapes are hand picked and pressed in whole clusters and kept at about 50 degrees. The wine is cool fermented 80 percent in stainless tanks and 20 percent in neutral French oak barrels. Winemakers don’t rush the process. The Chardonnay fermentation can go on for months. Then it goes through 100 percent malolactic fermentation.
“We tend to get more complexity out of the longer and slower fermentation,” said Megan Baccitich, director of winemaking for Paul Hobbs Winery and CrossBarn. “It gives the wine a bigger texture, makes it more Burgundian.”
The Sonoma Coast vineyards where the grapes were grown are influenced by the cool Pacific Ocean. Daytime temperatures are moderated by fog rolling in from the ocean and nights can dip into the 40s. This gives the grapes plenty of time to mature and adds to the complexity of the wine.
A few weeks ago I visited the Paul Hobbs Winery in Sebastopol where they make CrossBarn, and it looks like the 2014 vintage is going to be even better than the outstanding 2013 harvest. Harvest is expected to begin 3-4 weeks earlier than normal because the weather has been so good.
“’12 and ’13 were great vintages, and 2014 looks great, too,” said Baccitich.
While developing its own style, CrossBarn has become something of a test kitchen for the Paul Hobbs label. They are constantly on the lookout for new vineyards, and sometimes CrossBarn fruit is used for Paul Hobbs wines.
The CrossBarn Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are bottled with screwcaps, for freshness and to attract younger wine drinkers.
She said she thought CrossBarn would be where consumers would see new things in the Paul Hobbs portfolio, as they look at new vineyards and possibly new wines. “The sky’s the limit for CrossBarn,” she said.
Winery: Paul Hobbs has become famous for making great wine around the world, both at his own winery and in consultation with local winemakers in Argentina, France and Armenia. Paul Hobbs Winery opened in Sebastopol in 1991.
The first CrossBarn wine was made at the Paul Hobbs Sebastopol winery, a small lot of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2000 vintage. That was so popular Hobbs soon followed with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Those three wines are the backbone of CrossBarn, although there is a Rosé. Generally, the Cabs come from Napa and the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir come from Sonoma.
The CrossBarn team, led by Hobbs, constantly searches for new vineyards that will meet their high standards. They believe in sustainable vineyard practices, and creating the wine in the vineyard, rather than in the winery.
“There is an entire generation of younger wine drinkers interested in tasting high-quality, balanced wines that are expressive and represent their terroir well, but they don’t have the budget for the Paul Hobbs Wines,” Hobbs said, “so they turn to CrossBarn.”
Hobbs grew up on a working farm in upstate New York with 10 brothers and sisters. He later helped his father turn some apple, nut and peach orchards into vineyards. After graduating from UC Davis, he gained valuable experience with Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Simi, Lewis Cellars, Bodegas Catena and others.
“He’s brilliant,” said winemaker Baccitich. “He has a knack in the vineyard. He’s always curious. Paul’s genius is finding new vineyards. We take on a new vineyard every year.”
In addition to Paul Hobbs Winery and Crossbarn, Hobbs co-owns Viña Cobos in Argentina, and through Paul Hobbs Imports he brings to the United States some of the wines he has had a hand in creating.
Especially known for his ability to find and develop great vineyards, Hobbs was called the Steve Jobs of wine by Forbes Magazine.
The name CrossBarn comes from the central barn and hub of the family farm in New York. The winery produces about 15,000 cases a year.
One of the new vineyards coming online next year will be wine from the Coombsville AVA in southeast Napa Valley. The vineyards lie in an ancient volcanic crater south of the town of Napa. The area is cooler, influenced by fog rolling in from San Pablo Bay.
The winery started using the fruit for CrossBarn and then realized it could also go into Paul Hobbs wines.
The gorgeous winery in Sebastopol is open to visitors, but you must make an appointment. You also can make an appointment for their new “Small Bites” experience that pairs three dishes with six wines for $100.
The spectacular tasting room designed by architect Howard Backen combines with incredible food and first-rate wines to create a memorable event. The winery is one of a handful that is showing visitors the benefits of proper food and wine pairings.
The day I was there we had halibut with a saffron sauce paired with two Chardonnays, roasted pork shoulder in a red wine reduction paired with three Pinot Noirs and a rack of lamb with two Cabs and a Malbec. It was a spectacular meal that was much more than “small bites.”
Goes with: We had this elegant wine during a cookout with friends at the lake. We had the Chardonnay with crab legs and a CrossBarn Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley with a brisket. We also had Champagne with grilled peaches that had been marinated in red wine.
We enjoyed ourselves, and each of the courses, but I’d have to say the Chardonnay was the biggest hit. Corn and potatoes roasted on the grill, and a tossed salad, rounded out the meal.
CrossBarn Chardonnay would pair well with mild fish, shrimp, grilled chicken or turkey, and a wide variety of mild cheese. It also would be a good sipping wine without food.
We liked pairing both CrossBarn wines with good friends. I think we enjoyed them even more because one of the couples are named Hobbs. So we felt like we were drinking “their” wine.
Author Dennis Sodomka