Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Sensibility is the first iteration of this cuvée at Epoch, and it was Jordan Fiorentini's first year as winemaker. "It was a really cool vintage," she recalls. "It was foggy, and we got rain during the season. We didn't pick until November 10-11, but we got a lot of hang time." A blend of 75% Grenache, 22% Mourvedre and 3% Syrah, aged 18 months in French oak, it has a pale garnet color and is still offering up wild berry fruits on the nose, with bass tones of mushroom, earth, gravel dust and dried mint. The palate is supple and silky, with earth and spice tones lingering on the finish. It's a mature wine that still offers appeal but should be drunk within the next few years. 81 cases were made.?
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.