Winemaker Notes
Old Faithful. Imposing. Aromatically, delivers the essence of their dry and undulating hillsides. Think leather and old barn slats, dry soil, cherry, bramble and cola. Faint notes of white pepper and bay are present. Texturally speaking, this wine is assertive, with ample tannins that rush to coat the mouth, somehow avoiding heaviness. Framed within the massive structure is a palate that leans into chicories, coffee grounds and earthy root vegetables. Ripe, luscious cherry keeps you coming back. Dried herbs add intrigue, and somewhere between taste and feel is the impression of sand. A giant, not to be taken lightly.
Pair with those meals that require a full day's worth of prep.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of dried strawberries and sweet red currants to the nose with some sweet spices. Plenty of nicely chewy tannins that need some time to soften. Still balanced with its concentrated fruit and alcohol level.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
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.