Austin Hope, Cabernet Sauvignon 1L, 2023

The Hope family moved to Paso Robles in 1978, initially planting both apple orchards and grapevines. Austin Hope grew up in the vineyards, famously being sent to hoe weeds as "punishment" for childhood mischief - a task he eventually grew to love. In the 1980s, the Hopes began selling their Cabernet grapes to Chuck Wagner of Caymus Vineyards for the Liberty School label. This partnership was pivotal, as Austin later studied winemaking under Chuck Wagner, whose influence is still visible in the lush, fruit-forward style of the Hope wines. Austin Hope was instrumental in the official petition to divide Paso Robles into 11 distinct sub-AVAs, helping the world recognize the region's diverse terroir. Austin Hope sources fruit from across the Paso Robles AVA, specifically targeting districts like Estrella, Geneseo, and Creston. This "multi-district" approach allows the winemakers to blend for a consistent, complex house style. The wine undergoes two separate passes of aging. It aged for 15 months in a variety of French oak (a mix of new and used). For the final blend, it is oaked in new French oak for several months to integrate flavours of toasted vanilla and baking spice. This intense oaking process delivers aromas of fresh black currant, ripe blackberry, and violets with a rich full-bodied palate layered with juicy olallieberry, black cherry, vanilla, baking spice and dark chocolate. This wine pairs beautifully with a hearty bacon cheeseburger or a grilled ribeye steak, where the rich fats perfectly soften the wine's bold tannins and highlight its lush notes of vanilla and dark berry.