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DEPARTMENT HEADER Most Biodynamic Personality Best Hugs Hawk and Horse 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Hills–Lake County ($65) Hug Cellars 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Starr Ranch Vineyard, Paso Robles Rudolph Steiner, the philosopher and father of Biodynamic agricultural principles, is a driving force of inspiration for Hawk and Horse, a Demeter-certified Biodynamic vineyard. We know that for many connoisseurs, the principles of biodynamic farming are confusing and mystifying, like the burying of cow horns filled with cow dung. Not so for founder Mitch Hawkins, who sourced a Scottish Highland breed of cattle just for their dung. All the extra work seems to pay off, and the result is a stallion of a red wine from low-yielding, tiny, thickskinned grapes planted in volcanic soil. We're big fans of Paso Robles Cab. This wine comes from Augie Hug who mentored with Central Coast Rhône varietal trailblazer John Alban. Hug made his first wine under Alban's watchful eye in 1994: just 87 cases of Edna Valley Syrah. In 2003, he moved to Paso Robles to make wines with Mat Garretson, who founded Paso's celebrated Hospice du Rhône. 2010 marks the inaugural vintage for this Cabernet Sauvignon, which hails from the Chimney Rock area on the West Side of Paso from the 33.5 acre Starr Ranch Vineyard. A lovely black fruit and perfumed nose gives way to a big, rich creature, blackberries and blueberries with a mocha finish. This wine is one for the cellar as it will develop gracefully over time. A blockbuster of a wine that offers aromas and flavors of cassis and brandied plums— not over-ripe or port-y, but bursting with blackberry preserves and a creamy pastry texture. FAMILY WINE PARTNERS Class Overacheiver Class Spelling Champion Justin Vineyards & Winery 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($25) KaDieM 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($125) When we think of Paso Robles, we invariably think of Justin Vineyards & Winery, the pioneering Central Coast estate that was founded in 1981. Since its inception, Justin has been an instrumental force, one of a handful of influential grower/ producers helping to put the winegrowing community of Paso on the map. We like a label that tells a story. If the name looks and sounds phonetically like the letters "K," D" and "M," that's not just a coincidence. The three founders are Karen Hunt, Danna McKay and winemaker Michael Trujillo. Trujillo came to Napa in the 1980s and never left—he's a pro who can boast of winemaking tutelage under the famed André Tchelistcheff. This wine, now in just its second vintage, hails from a vineyard in the Rutherford Bench. In its newly designed bottle, this is Justin's "Ambassador Wine," which leads to the winery's iconic Justification and Isosoles wines. While still young, it gets rounder by the minute, so just imagine its beauty over the years. Bright is the first word that comes to mind, washed with blackberry and cedar spice. A great value for a labor-intensive wine that starts with hand-picked and sorted berries and spends 18 months in 225-liter American oak barrels. Deep and rich with firm structure and lovely plum, spice and notes of chocolate; complex and supple with intensity and elegance; fresh and balanced with toasty oak, ripe fruit and excellent style; long and classic. This is just the second release of this wine; initial vintage was 2009. 144 / the tasting panel / december 2013 the tasting panel TP1213_104-148.indd 144 11/23/13 8:38 PM