Winemaker Notes
Dark ruby purple core with a black hue, lighter at the rim and more ruby in color. Moderate plus viscosity with moderate tearing and light staining on the glass. Very aromatic, complex and layered with vibrant red cherry, ripe black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, vanilla and cinnamon spice, with camphor and licorice, savory cigar box notes and an attractive, youthful toasted oak underpinning. Dry and full-bodied, layered with red and black cherry, cassis and complex baking spice on the entry. Sweet tobacco and classic savory pencil-like notes of cedar and graphite with a little cocoa emerge on the crisp mid-palate with firm chewy tannins lasting into a long, complex finish that shows a parade of fruit and spice balanced with constantly evolving textures and savory notes.
Try the 2015 ISOSCELES right now with a simply seasoned oak grilled prime ribeye steak, or wait a few years to enjoy its added complexity with the layered flavors of slowly braised lamb shanks. Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This reserve bottling delivers rich aromas of candied black cherry, dark caramel, licorice and mocha. The palate on this Cabernet-dominant blend is taut yet exuberant, offering a black currant flavor against a chalky texture. —M.K
The pioneer of Paso Robles, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1981 by Justin Baldwin and is known for crafting world-class wines using Bordeaux grape varieties. Once the grapes are harvested, JUSTIN Winemaker Scott Shirley and his team sort, select, age, taste, blend, and decide what goes into every bottle. JUSTIN consistently receives top honors around the world, establishing itself as a leader in new-world Bordeaux-style winemaking. JUSTIN's Vineyard Estate features a Tasting Room, luxury five-star accommodations at the JUST INN, and a MICHELIN-starred Restaurant-making it one of the only wineries on the Central Coast to offer all three amenities. JUSTIN also has a downtown Paso Robles tasting room where guests can enjoy their wines. Visit to discover what makes JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery so exceptional.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.