Winemaker Notes
Bright, with a deep ruby core lightening to a ruby garnet at the rim, with light staining on slow-forming, persistent tears. Highly aromatic with black cherry, pomegranate, and red plum fruit along with notes of vanilla, new leather, pencil shavings, and oak. Moderate-plus bodied with ripe blackberry, baked strawberry, and juicy plum on entry, evolving into the savory midpalate with moderate, fine tannins and notes of leather, dried oregano, wild sage, and white rose petal with dusty terra-cotta. The finish is long and intricate with sweet tobacco, vanilla bean, oak, licorice, and a lingering note of camphor.
Blend: 60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Plum sauce and sage are accentuated by hints of ground clove and white pepper as the 2021 Justification slowly blossoms in the glass. This is seamless and silken with elegantly ripe red and black fruits that coast across a stream of tantalizing acidity. While gently tannic, the 2021 leaves the mouth watering for more as violet inner florals and hints of licorice resonate on.
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James Suckling
Full-bodied, dense and creamy, with blackberries, grilled bell peppers and sweet spices on the nose. Fine tannins with a creamy texture and a dense core of sweet berries, sweet spices and a touch of chocolate caressing the mid-palate and the similarly generous finish. 60% cabernet franc and 40% merlot.
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.