# Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

- **Producer:** Austin Hope
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cabernet Sauvignon
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 15.0%
- **Average price:** €65
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackcurrant, blackberry, cherry, vanilla, cloves, cedar, coffee, tobacco, leather

## About this wine

The Hope family has been farming in Paso Robles for over three decades, transitioning from apple orchards and vineyards to crafting premium estate wines. Winemaker Austin Hope spent his early career learning under legendary Napa vintner Chuck Wagner of Caymus Vineyards before launching his namesake label in 2000. Rather than focusing on a single vineyard, this flagship Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted as a regional showcase, bringing together grapes harvested from up to nine distinct sub-districts across the Paso Robles AVA. Hope Family Wines earned the distinction of American Winery of the Year from Wine Enthusiast in 2022, and its flagship bottling achieved historic acclaim as the first Paso Robles wine to reach the Top 10 of Wine Enthusiast's annual Top 100 list.

## Interesting facts

- Austin Hope was mentored early in his career by legendary Napa winemaker Chuck Wagner of Caymus Vineyards.
- The 2017 vintage made history as the first Paso Robles wine ever featured in the Top 10 of Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 list.
- Hope Family Wines was awarded American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2022.

## Food pairing

The immense structure, rich body, and high alcohol of this Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon demand rich, hearty foods. Proteins and fat in dishes like ribeye steak or short ribs soften the wine's firm tannins, while intensely flavored dishes like dark chocolate or aged cheeses complement its broad concentration without being overwhelmed.

## Wine making process

Fruit for this bottling is sourced across diverse top-tier vineyard sites in Paso Robles, representing varied soil profiles from gravelly loams to calcareous seabed deposits. Vineyard lots are harvested separately and fermented individually in stainless steel tanks for 10 to 14 days. Extended macerations combined with managed pump-overs allow for optimal color and structure extraction. The individual lots are aged separately for 11 to 15 months in French oak barrels of varying ages. Late in the cellar process, the master blend is assembled and returned to barrel for an additional two to three months of integration in up to 75% new French oak. The wine undergoes racking twice during aging and is crossflow filtered prior to bottling.