Winemaker Notes
Powerful aromas of violets, seared steak, sassafras, green pepper, black olive and blackberry exude from the glass. The supple palate is packed with flavors of coffee, bacon, sandalwood, and nutmeg which seamlessly transforms into a silky, yet substantially powerful finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Based on 98% Syrah and 2% Roussanne, the 2020 Dirt Worshipper is brilliant and just about jumps out of the glass with its exotic blue and black fruits, spring flowers, game, bay leaf, and bacon fat-driven aromatics. It's beautiful on the palate as well and is medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, good freshness, and ripe yet building tannins. This classic, cool climate-inspired, incredibly complex Syrah will evolve for at least a decade. Rating: 96+
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Wine Spectator
A robust red, this has grip but remains tightly focused, with deep black raspberry, savory herbes de Provence and bitter flavors that build tension toward broad-shouldered tannins. Syrah and Roussanne. Drink now through 2030.
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.