Villa Creek Avenger 2015
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast
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Winemaker Notes
Avenger is the red blend that launched Villa Creek Cellars in 2001. Syrah from G2 Vineyard is the backbone of this wine. G2 is a stone’s throw from James Berry Vineyard in the Willow Creek district of the west hills of Paso Robles. The vines are deeply rooted in lime stone which give richness and complexity without being over the top. Our block at G2 sits on a steep windswept west facing slope that benefits from ocean fog and cooler day time temperatures. These conditions lend breadth on the palate and layers of flavor to the wines. Denner and Luna Matta Mourvèdre add a bass note of dark fruit. A touch of Rolph dry farmed Petite Syrah adds volume. This wine is all about hedonistic pleasure! Drink 2017-2027.
Blend: 70% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Grenache, and 10% Mourvedre.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Avenger is a more Syrah dominated cuvée which includes 10% each of Petite Sirah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. Its deep ruby/purple/opaque color is followed by classic Paso Robles Syrah notes of blackberries, barbecue smoke, peppery herbs and chalky minerality. Opening up with time in the glass, this full-bodied, unctuous beauty has sweet tannin, nicely integrated acidity, and loads of fruit and texture, all while staying balanced, clean and incredibly drinkable. It will benefit from a year or two in bottle and keep through 2027.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With notes of blackberry, dried flowers and wild berries, the 2015 The Avenger is a juicy, fruit-forward and full-bodied red blend, structured around fine tannins and juicy acids. While this is already quite generous and giving, it has the structure and energy to age for a few years too. It's a blend of 70% Syrah, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre.
Rating: 93+ -
Wine Enthusiast
Freshly pressed blackberry meshes with slightly reductive hints of tar on the nose of this blend of 70% Syrah, 10% Petite Syrah, 10% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre. Asphalt flavors rise on the palate along with deep elderberry, sagebrush and wild thyme and oregano, framed by very firm tannins that penetrate into the finish.
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Today, they farm their own certified biodynamic and certified organic vineyard, the MAHA Estate in the hills west of Paso Robles. They continue to purchase grapes from the region's most esteemed vineyards and strive to create exciting wines that reflect the land from which they originated.
The MAHA Estate is 8 miles west of Paso Robles. Extreme topography of south and west facing slopes that climb to 1800 feet continue to captivate Cris and JoAnn with the dynamic views of the coastal mountain range. The winery was erected in 2003 to house the production of roughly 3000 cases of wine each year. Monterey shale and siliceous shale provide an ideal foundation for the Rhone grape varieties planted in 2012 and 2013. Sustaining the vibrancy and the health of the land by farming the grapes under organic and biodynamic principles will, in turn, make vibrant wines. The soil is abundant in micro organisms and is the perfect host to the vines, the family and their flock of 30 Dorper sheep that graze the vineyard in the winter and spring. The energy of this site is palpable.
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.