Winemaker Notes
Visually inviting with its bright garnet color, the 2017 Public Radio shows super-fresh aromas of Bing cherry, strawberry, and raspberry, with very subtle hints of violet and allspice. On the palate, the wine is seamless and has perfect balance. Fresh acidity, supple tannins, and red fruit flavors create a synergy that is absolutely captivating and expressive of the very best that a Grenache-based wine can possibly offer, including a very long fragrant finish.
Blend: 90% Grenache, 10% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Light aromas of cranberry, strawberry and cherry are bolstered with an earthy background of freshly dug loam and light sagebrush on the nose of this bottling, which includes 10% Syrah. There's a compelling balance of toasted sage, crisp red fruit and light smoke on the flavorful sip.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Public Radio Red Wine is made up of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah, mostly from the Adelaida District. Grapes were co-fermented and aged in about 10% to 15% new oak puncheons. Pale to medium ruby in color, it opens with notions of macerated strawberries and raspberries, powdered sugar, cranberries and baking spice hints with notions of wet tobacco leaves, earth and meaty touches. The palate is light to medium-bodied with great intensity of earth-tinged berry fruit, with a pleasantly chalky frame and lip-smacking juiciness on the long finish, begging you to take another sip. Well done!
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Grounded Wine Co. Public Radio Red Blend stretches the realm of Rhône red grape varieties. This wine is a beautiful transformation from the Old World. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings richness and elevation onto its palate with flavors of black fruit and oaky hints. Enjoy it with a savory lamb stew. (Tasted: September 20, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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.