Professional Ratings

• 96 James Suckling
  Very structured, balanced and a bit tight right now, this impressive wine will benefit from further aging in the bottle. So floral, earthy, leathery and alive in aromas, followed by intense black fruit and a firm texture. Flavors of black figs, iron, tobacco, graphite, dried blueberries and cranberries. Quite steely and muscular in tannins. Best from 2030.
• 96 Vinous
  The 2022 Cabernet Franc Nathan Coombs Estate is one of the finest wines from Paul Hobbs this year—maybe the best. Then again, Franc fared especially well in 2022. A wine of purity, exuberance and varietal character, the Franc is seriously impressive. Inky red fruit, white pepper, blood orange, spice and mint convey tons of distinctiveness, while beams of supporting tannin lend persistence through to the clean, bracing finish.
• 95 Decanter
  The 2022 Paul Hobbs Nathan Coombs Estate Cabernet Franc, Coombsville, Napa Valley, showcases such perfect varietal character that it stands out effortlessly in a lineup of Hobbs wines from this vintage. Wonderfully attractive and alluring notes of capsicum and sweet jalapeño intertwine with blue agave and fresh sage. Blackberry and blueberry fruit build with pure, radiant richness on the palate, framed by firm, taut, elongated tannins. Spicy accents evolve alongside savoury nuances of unsmoked tobacco, cracked pepper, and rose stems. Terrifically balanced and vibrant, the early-ripening Cabernet Franc shines in this vintage.
• 95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2022 Cabernet Franc Nathan Coombs Estate includes 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. A terrific success—don't make the mistake of writing off Napa's 2022s, especially from cooler sites—this wines knockout aromas include vaguely floral, leafy notes that suggest such disparate scents as violets and tobacco, then knits them together with red berries into a harmonious whole. It's medium to full-bodied in the mouth, velvety-textured and even perhaps a bit coarse on the finish but concentrated and long. While it needs a few years in the cellar, it should still be humming along in two decades.
• 94 Wine Spectator
  Deep and winey, with a well of dark currant, offering black cherry and boysenberry reduction notes layered with bittersweet cocoa, cast iron and dark tobacco elements. Shows a pleasantly rugged edge and excellent underlying energy, with a flash of violet at the very end that bodes well for its inner purity. For the cellar. Best from 2025 through 2038.