For readers who may have been sleeping on the wines of Paul Hobbs and not staying up to date on their shifting style, this one may come as a surprise. Taking on light, flinty wet stone aromatics, with fresh herbs, ripe pear, and fresh apple, the 2021 Chardonnay Cuvee Louisa Goldrock Estate is electric with driving energy on the palate, with loads of saline, ripe fruit, and mouthwatering persistence. This full-bodied white has nothing heavy about it, offering pure fruit that’s a touch tropical, with a hint of ripe papaya and fresh citrus blossoms. An outstanding wine and the best I have tasted from Paul Hobbs to date, this is one of the shining stars from the newly minted West Sonoma Coast appellation. It’s a cellar-worthy Chardonnay that I imagine will develop wonderfully over the next decade or more. Bravo! (AF)