Winemaker Notes
Smelling like a warm spring day with delicate aromas of chamomile, oleander, beeswax and a kiss of sea spray. The wine dances with notes of candied grapefruit, mandarin orange and Asian pear wrapped in sweet brioche. Medium bodied, the plump and juicy palate dazzles the senses calling you back for another sip.
Blend: 67% Roussanne, 12% Grenache Blanc, 11% Picpoul Blanc, 10% Marsanne
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Rich and textural, with aromas of melon, grilled lemons, peaches, yellow apples, pastry and salted nuts. The palate is rounded, with a lovely texture and a phenolic edge. There’s a savory note underneath the freshness. Made from 67% roussanne, 12% grenache blanc,11% picpoul and 10% marsanne.
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Wine Enthusiast
Slightly hazy in the glass, this blend of 67% Roussanne, 12% Grenache Blanc, 11% Picpoul Blanc and 10% Marsanne is quite mellow, starting with honeydew and coconut sorbet aromas on the nose. The palate picks up subtle melon flavors.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
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.