Winemaker Notes
Powerful aromas of violets, blueberries, sarsaparilla, Kalamata olive and wild mint exude from the glass. The midpalate is dripping with blackberry, hoisin, white pepper, Spanish chorizo and dark chocolate notes that evolve into a rich mouthfeel and stunningly long finish.
Blend: 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano, 1% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A more Syrah-dominated release, the 2021 Dirt Worshipper is textbook Syrah magic with is peppery, gamey dark fruits, iron, tapenade, sandalwood, and violet-laced aromas and flavors. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. Based on 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano, and 1% Viognier that was fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged 20 months in 25% new French and Hungarian oak, it will probably merit a triple-digit rating in 4-5 years, and I’d be happy to put this up with the best Syrahs out there.
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James Suckling
Potent and peppery, this blend of syrah from distinct vineyards in the central coast of California is haunting, earthy, smoky and mysterious. It offers grilled meat, black pepper, green peppercorn, espresso and star anise components that are fascinating and complex. 30% new oak is enhanced by a portion of Kadar Hungarian oak barrels. With 7% petit verdot, 4% graciano and 1% viognier.
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Vinous
The 2021 Dirt Worshipper is impossible to ignore, blending incense with dried roses, white pepper and exotic spice. This impresses with its elegance and grace, washing across the palate with silken textures and ripe red and black fruits as a wave of juicy acidity adds lift. Violet inner florals resonate throughout. It tapers off spicy and incredibly long, embraced by a coating of fine-grained tannins that tug at the senses as a resonance of clove lingers on. Simply spellbinding, this is unmistakably New World fruit, yet with an Old Word soul.
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Decanter
The Dirth Worshipper is a blend of 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano, and 1% Viognier, co-fermented, bringing in some pretty aromatics. The wine is aged 18 months in 29% new French and Hungarian oak 225L barrels, and 71% used 225L barrels—a fashionable red blend with bright floral aromatics, cranberry and black cherry fruit and cedarwood spices. Medium to full-bodied, sporting a deep core of earthy minerals infused with red-berry fruits and intricate, woven tannins that build with a crescendo of brambly berry fruit to a finish marked by a firm spine of acidity and nuanced expressive fine herbs, white pepper, clove, and dried rose petal florals. The intensity of the finish is downright exciting and surprising, leaving one immediately wanting another sip to see where it's going.
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Wine Enthusiast
Intense aromas of blueberry, charcoal and violet entertain the nose on this Syrah-based bottling that includes small bits of Petit Verdot, Graciano and Viognier. Blue and black fruit flavors are cleanly presented on the palate, with hints of lilac and a caramel finish completing the picture.
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Wine Spectator
Dense and brambly, offering brooding flavors of currant, herbes de Provence and savory spices that build tension and tannins on the finish. Syrah, Petit Verdot, Graciano and Viognier.
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.