Austin Hope Cab 2015 ($62).

Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 ($62) 

Full bodied with an elegant character, Paso Robles winemaker Austin Hope’s maiden foray into Cabernet continues to improve. This wine was great when I first tasted it a year ago. A second visit a few months later confirmed the daring nature of it full-bodied plum and black cherry flavors. 

This weekend, a third visit, where it was paired with a special occasion dinner of beef braciole, brought out the remarkable tension in the wine. It’s threads of the Old World and New World being perfectly woven. Fruit forward, velvety tannins and after some time in the bottle, a sliver of loamy earth. To this tasting detective, these tastes are clues that the future is even brighter than the present. 

The continued evolution of this wine makes me excited for its future in 10, 20 and even 30 years.  But, get it before it's gone since it's sold out from the Hope Family Cellars.  We found ours at Fresh Market grocery store (August, 2018), and the price is likely to rise as this wine ages, improves, and becomes more scarce.