Winemaker Notes
Oublié pays homage to Châteauneuf du Pape where Grenache dominant blends are revered. It is wonderfully garnet in color with cheeky swirls of youthful purple. Initial aromas offer a myriad of dark cherry and pomegranate with some secondary notes of nutmeg and cinnamon. True to its roots, it has a truck load of tantalizing acidity, spice and savory notes with pleasing tannins. The extended aging broadens the flavors on the palate and makes it very approachable now but careful cellaring for a few years will make for more enjoyment.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The same blend of Grenache and Syrah fermented with around one-third stems, the 2016 Oublie 22 spent 22 months in barrel. As with the straight release of this cuvée, it has an exotic bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, crushed violets, ground herbs, and graphite. Deep, full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it’s another sensational wine from this address.
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.