Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Dense in the glass, this blend of 58% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre, 17% Grenache and 6% Tempranillo begins with intensely smoky dark fruits as well as blackberry jam, violet, wild sage and mint. The mouthfeel is full and rich, framed by smooth tannins that rise on the midpalate alongside flavors of mocha, gingerbread and black fruits. Drink now–2036.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from the Paderewski and Catapult vineyards on the western side of Paso Robles and a blend of 58% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre, 17% Grenache, and the rest Tempranillo, the 2016 Estate Blend offers a forest, fleshy, pure style that's very much in the vintage. Darker fruits, ground pepper, violets, and meaty notes all dominate the nose, and it's full-bodied, offers ripe, building tannins, and has no hard edges.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Estate Blend is made up of 58% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre, 17% Grenache and 6% Tempranillo aged 17 months in 36% new French oak barrels and puncheons. Medium to deep ruby-purple in color, it has a lovely perfume of cracked white peppercorn, mint leaves, violets, warm wild blackberries and crème de cassis with an undercurrent of blueberries, charcuterie, loam and red berry sparks. It’s medium to full-bodied and silky with slowly unfurling savory-laced fruits, firmly grained and juicy with a long, perfumed finish.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Growing on high elevation bedrock slopes, the vineyards of Paso Robles Willow Creek AVA sit at between 960 and 1,900 feet in elevation.