Tobias Pauli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 2017

The pedigree of the Tobias Vineyards founders is unparalleled, with Toby Forman (son of Ric Forman) and Dawn Pauli Forman (daughter of Bill Pauli) at the helm.  Both Toby and Dawn cite their legendary fathers for instilling a deep appreciation for the land and traditions of classical winemaking.  Thankfully for us in the wine world, the grapes did not fall far from the vine in this next-generation winemaking and farming team.

Toby grew up in Napa Valley, where his father Ric began making wine in the late 1960s for Sterling Vineyards and assisted with founding both Newton Vineyards and Duckhorn Vineyards.  In 1983, Ric started the family label, Forman Vineyards, where he now works side by side with Toby to manage the vineyards and make the wine.  As a kid, Toby's weekends were filled not with parties and sports tournaments but cellar work and helping to tend his father's almost 90 acres of vineyards.  These early lessons paid off as Toby learned the farming of grapevines and developed an intuition for winemaking that is both ardently informed and seemingly second nature.  Simultaneously, Dawn Pauli Forman learned her way around a vineyard as the 4th generation in her California farming family.  The Pauli family name is synonymous with growing grapes (along with stone fruits and raising livestock) in Mendocino County.  Winemakers coveted Bill Pauli's grapes as they often garnered high scores and praise.  Dawn remembers working alongside her father from an early age, similar to Toby; pruning vines and tilling cover crops were among her uncommon childhood "chores."

With upbringings like theirs, it's not hard to see why Dawn and Toby joined the family business and created their family label with Tobias Vineyards in 2009.  After purchasing a parcel of land on Howell Mountain, they kept their eyes on a neighboring property with 20 acres planted to five different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon.  As fate would have it, the property came up for sale, and the Pauli-Formans closed in 2014, adding the 40 total acres to their estate and naming it Pauli Vineyard. 

The 2017 growing season began with a long, rainy winter, leaving the soils on Howell Mountain nourished and replenished. A welcome heat wave progressed development and maturation throughout the summer leading to a perfect harvest on October 5th. The vineyard, nestled high on Howell Mountain, has volcanic soil riddled densely with rocks from which these young vines grow. The soil and elevation yield a natural environment fostering intensity, color, and naturally firm tannins. This inaugural release from the Pauli Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by Toby (Tobias) Forman. It is an exceptional wine from a convergence and depth of knowledge, the Tobias Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a hallmark first release. An intense, deep garnet color in the glass leads into powerful aromas of ripe blackberry, currants, cinnamon, graphite, and wild black cherry fruit. Upon the first sip, the fruit envelopes the palate with chocolate, vanilla, bright cherries, black currants, firm tannins, and a velvety texture. With finesse and richness, the wine will age for 10-15 years to come. 400 cases produced.