Winemaker Notes
The aromas continually evolve in this sophisticated, well-structured Syrah from predominantly Paderewski Vineyard with a touch of Epoch's cooler climate York Mountain Vineyard. Graphite, roasted meats and herbs (think bay leaf/thyme/sage-rubbed, oven-roasted filet), and kalamata olive lead to more violet and red rose, blueberry fruits, minerals, and vanilla. The texture builds as the wine moves in a purposeful path from entry to finish, leaving impressions of complexity.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Authenticity Syrah has an opaque ruby-purple color and inviting aromas of cassis, blueberry and ringing violet perfume, plus touches of coffee beans and brown sugar from its 18-month maturation in 42% new French oak. The full-bodied palate is ripe and powerful without losing its detail. It's loaded with powdery tannins, offers seamless freshness and finishes with tremendous floral perfume. Wow! This plush, generous wine deserves several more years in bottle to unwind.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Authenticity is all Syrah that comes mostly from the Paderewski Vineyard, with a small percentage from the York Mountain Vineyard. It offers a deep, inky hue to go with a blockbuster-style array of black and blue fruits, ground pepper, violets, and hints of game. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful on the palate, it has ripe tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great, great 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.