Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesDark in the glass, this blend of 37% Syrah, 24% Malbec, 16% Petit Verdot, 13% Zinfandel and 10% Petite Sirah is intense in aromas of black fruit, loamy soil and wet herbs. It lands on the palate with a hearty mouthfeel, delivering flavors of black currant, roasted meat, black pepper and toasty oak.
Big, bold and versatile, Renegade is a gutsy Paso Robles blend marrying the unlikely bedfellows of Syrah, Malbec and Zinfandel. Dark with brooding black fruit, this is earth-driven showcasing a herbal and somewhat meaty character while sporting intense aromas and a full-body alongside black pepper and toasty oak notes through the powerful, persistent finish.
While it may account for but slightly more than a third of this blend’s mixed cepage that also includes healthy amounts of Malbec, Zinfandel, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah, Syrah nonetheless comes through clearly in the wine’s ripe and slightly gamy and peppery aromas as well as its substantial, mouthfilling flavors. While, as has been the case in the past, this year’s Renegade is little concerned with restraint and is a heady, full-bodied effort that places the emphasis on unabashed richness, it does not cross the line into over-the-top excess and has the structure to age for at least five or six years. Drink it sooner with the likes of braised lamb shanks or hearty hunks of beef, but we would very confidently bet on its future, and, given its modest price, we would bet big.
We are a family-owned winery specializing in estate-grown wines from Margarita Vineyard, the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles appellation on California’s Central Coast.
Just look at a map of Paso Robles wineries and at the very southern tip you will find our Vineyard. Here, amid the rugged Santa Lucia mountain range just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Margarita Vineyard stands alone as the only vineyard in its vicinity, and thus the only vineyard to benefit from the extraordinary growing conditions of the area. Margarita Vineyard resides in the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, which was first planted to vines by Franciscan missionaries in 1774.
Ancient Peaks and Margarita Vineyard are owned by three longtime local winegrowing families—the Filipponis, Rossis and Wittstroms—who are actively involved in the daily operations of the vineyard and winery. Ancient Peaks wines are crafted under the guidance of Mike Sinor, a local winemaking veteran and one of the highest-rated winemakers on the Central Coast.
Ancient Peaks implements numerous sustainable viticultural practices to ensure natural quality in their wines while protecting the rich, native environment surrounding the Margarita Vineyard. Their practices have earned SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certification for Margarita Vineyard, the leading standard for viticultural sustainability.
