Winemaker Notes
Luscious notes of raspberry, fresh strawberries, and delicate rose petal. Dive into the sensory delight of milk chocolate intertwined with a hint of blood orange, while the essence of sage adds an intriguing herbal layer. This blend harmoniously weaves together bright fruitiness with subtle complexities, promising an unforgettable tasting journey.
Pair this well-balanced red wine with its tight acid and medium body with smoked orange rosemary duck, charcutier, or roasted beet salad with kale and a red wine vinaigrette.
Blend: 58% Grenache, 32% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Notes of spiced mulberry and white pepper plus a generous, meaty texture make this Rhône-style blend of 58% Grenache, 32% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah sing. Cigar leaf and sweet earth parade with a bowlful of berries.
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Wine Enthusiast
Fruity and accessible aromas of ripe plum, strawberry and cherry are balanced by a thin line of woodspice on the nose of this classic Paso Rhône blend of 58% Grenache, 32% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah. The palate shows a delicate side of rose petals and lavender, staying bright and refreshing through the floral finish.
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.