Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
I loved the 2017 Vertigo from barrel, and it didn’t disappoint from bottle. A blend of 63% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, and the rest Grenache and Petite Sirah, brought up in 65% new French oak, this full-bodied, massively endowed 2017 has complex notes of blue fruits, blood orange, violets, and exotic spices. As with all Eric’s 2017s, it’s rich and concentrated yet has remarkable purity and elegance at the same time. It’s one of the finest GSM blends out there and will shine for at least 8-10 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Vertigo is a blend of 65% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre and 5% Grenache aged in 65% new French oak. Deep ruby-purple in color, the nose opens with tar, chargrill and loamy earth scents, slowly offering up game meats, black currants, dried violets and dried black cherries with a chocolatey undercurrent. Full-bodied, rich and slowly blossoming in the mouth, it has a firm, grainy frame and just enough freshness, finishing long and still youthfully coiled. This needs time!
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Wine Spectator
Boldly expressive aromas of blackberry and dried cherry lead to densely structured river stone, dried sage and white pepper flavors that build tension toward broad-shouldered tannins. Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache. Best from 2021 through 2026.
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.