Denner The Dirt Worshipper 2018
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This viscerally thrilling wine explodes with aromas of olive tapenade, white pepper, violets, blackberry, and smoked paprika. Intensely mysterious flavors of açai berry, seared meats, walnuts and pomegranate lead you to believe that the wine will be rustic and backwards, but the palate is suspenseful, with a refined and linear texture that evolves to a round, supple and incredibly long finish.
Blend: 98% Syrah, 1% Viognier, 1% Roussanne.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Strong aromas of cola, roasted meat, incense, black currant and cracked peppercorn kick off this bottling, which includes 1% each of Roussanne and Viognier. A rich black-currant flavor hits the palate first, then come waves of peppercorn and cocoa, all wrapped in lush yet tense tannins.
Cellar Selection
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Dirt Worshipper Syrah, blended with a 1% splash each of Roussanne and Viognier, is a stunning Syrah, with an opaque ruby-purple color and a powerhouse nose that's fierce and wild: iron, black licorice, tar, chargrill and coffee emerge along with sparks of white pepper and intense cassis-like fruit. The palate is incredible, exploding with flavor but grounded with round, plush tannins and loads of juicy uplift that carries the long finish. It evolved over many days after the cork was popped, which suggests it will age gracefully in the cellar over the next 15+ years.
-
Wine Spectator
Refined intensity and deep flavors define this blend. Opens with black raspberry, crushed stone, savory herb and pepper flavors that build toward medium-grained tannins. Syrah, Roussanne and Viognier. Drink now through 2029.
Other Vintages
2020-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Journal
The Somm -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
The 108 acres under vine are comprised of 19 different varieties in 26 unique blocks. Each block is farmed with painstaking attention to detail, allowing only for the best possible grapes to reach the winery. Aron Nevarez, the vineyard manager, is committed to environmentally friendly farming practices, using only sustainable inputs and minimal irrigation.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.