Winemaker Notes
Coming off the exceptional vintage of 2018, we are excited to say that 2019 follows suit. While the wines from the two vintages are noticeably different, they do share striking similarities of incredible texture, complexity and density while still retaining vivid freshness.
Blend: 52% Syrah 31% Mourvedre 17% Grenache
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chopping Block is a gorgeous blend of 52% Syrah, 31% Mourvèdre and 17% Grenache grown on limestone that buzzes with energetic acidity. Medium ruby-purple, it's scented of crushed cherries and iron, with nuances of mint chocolate, licorice and game meats. The full-bodied palate offers finely detailed, savory dark fruits, a plush, rounded feel and loads of spices on the uplifted finish.
Rating: 96+ -
Jeb Dunnuck
More tobacco, peppery herbs, graphite, asphalt, and crushed stone notes emerge from the 2019 Chopping Block, another rich, powerful, yet still fresh and lively wine from winemaker Connor McMahon. It's going to round into form with just a year in bottle, and I wouldn't put it past this beauty to still be drinking nicely in a decade. The blend is 42% Syrah, 31% Mourvèdre, and 17% Grenache, brought up in 50% new French oak. It has a decade or more of prime drinking ahead of it.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a bold and extracted blend of 52% Syrah, 31% Mourvèdre and 17% Grenache, designed to attract attention with strawberry, caramel and spicecake aromas on the nose. Chalky tannins frame the texturally intriguing palate, where plum pudding, roast fig and cassis flavors are dusted in chai spices.
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James Suckling
Full-bodied with lots of berry, dark-chocolate and meat character. Peppery. Round, juicy tannins. Flavorful finish. A rich and powerful wine. Bit old-school, but attractive in this genre.
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.