Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Oublie is a blockbuster, ranking with the finest wines in the vintage. Based on 56% Grenache, 22% Mourvèdre, 22% Syrah, brought up in 50% neutral barrels, its vivid purple color is followed by a full-bodied, powerful, yet elegant red that has a great nose of cassis, blackberries, white flowers, leafy herbs, and hints of pepper. It packs some muscle yet stays flawlessly balanced. Drink it over the coming decade.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Booker Oublie is bright, persistent, and attractive, as well as one of the top GSMs in the marketplace. TASTING NOTES: This wine excels with aromas and flavors of vivid red fruits. Try it with a well-designed charcuterie plate of cheese and pates. (Tasted: December 9, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Oublié is a blend of 56% Grenache, 22% Syrah and 22% Mourvèdre aged in 35% new French oak. Medium to deep ruby, it has broody aromas of black cherries, underbrush, cured meats, dried red currants and dried cranberries with touches of graphite. The palate is medium to full-bodied and earthy with firm, grainy tannins and great freshness to lift the long, dense finish. This needs time!
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Wine Spectator
Framed by sinewy tannins, this blend abounds with blackberry, black licorice and crushed rock flavors, building richness and tension on a long finish. Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Best from 2021 through 2027.
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.