Winemaker Notes
Pair with Beef Bourguignon, Lamb Shank or Venison Roast.
Blend: 82% Syrah, 18% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine begins a bit wound-up and restrained on the nose, but then reveals waves of cassis, blackcurrant, elderberry and caramelized beef tips. The flavors are woven together perfectly, showing deep blueberry syrup, dark-chocolate chips, brighter plums, lovely lilacs and a touch of tar. It's deep, dark and complex.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another outstanding wine from the estate is the 2013 Moose, which is named after the Estate's founding partner, Lloyd Messer, whose nickname was Moose. Made from 82% Syrah and 18% Petit Verdot, aged 28 months in French oak (45% new), its deep purple color is followed by full-bodied and decadent aromas and flavors of blackberries, chocolate, spice and licorice. It's a big wine, but it stays fresh and lively on the palate, with impeccable balance and fine tannin. Enjoy bottles through 2023.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
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.