Winemaker Notes
Our extended aged Grenache spent twenty-two months in a combination of concrete tulip tanks and oak barrels. It has a beautiful feminine ruby tone at first appearance. Exuding fine toned aromas of cherries, raspberries and rose hips encased in silken oak notes, this wine explodes with bright red fruits and a balanced acidity in the mouth. Rose petals, black tea and a hint of hibiscus lingers and lingers. Enjoy now but this will evolve delightfully over the next five years.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The same wine as the straight Ripper only aged longer in barrel, the 2016 Ripper 22 is cut from the same cloth yet is slightly deeper and more rounded, with sensational notes of kirsch, blackberry liqueur, ground pepper, and leafy herbs. This full-bodied, rich, textured beauty shows slightly more evolution aromatically, yet I love its mid-palate density and length. Give bottles 2-3 years and it’s going to knock your socks off over the following decade.
Rating: 97+
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
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.