Winemaker Notes
Blend: Mourvedre 39%, Syrah 33%, Grenache 26%, Petite Sirah 2%
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Adelaida Winery's penchant for full-on ripeness does not go missing here, yet it is not ripeness without fruit, and the wine is wonderfully rich and rife with blackberries from first nosing to finish. Full-bodied and fleshy and bordering on being downright lush in feel, this one is surprisingly balanced for the very big wine that it is, and, if it can hardly be described as being elegant and light on its feet, it has the energy and fruity depth to age successfully for a half-dozen or more years.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Offering a nice expression of the Rhône Valley in Paso Robles, the delicious and well-balanced 2014 Adelaida Anna's Red—a blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, and a little bit of Petite Sirah—comes up flavors of dried fruit, sweet oak, and savory spices. The wine's powerful finish invites a pairing with braised meats. (Tasted: March 8, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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.