Winemaker Notes
Beguiling stands front and center as the most elegant and riveting wine, in any lineup, and since its inaugural vintage, 2010. The clear distinction comes from both the terroir of the Law vineyard and a masterful selection of multiple clones and varied vineyard block aspects. Wild berry aromas, with nuances of dried flowers and brûléed blood orange peel, hover over a core of fresh red fruits, savory herbs, and wet stone minerality. The 2019 Beguiling is a textural stunner, where power, balance, and tension are the foundation of a wine that will be ever so enchanting with each passing day, for many years to come.
Blend: 88% Grenache, 12% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
More Grenache-dominated, the 2019 Beguiling is based on 88% Grenache and 12% Syrah. Aged 19 months in a mix of French oak and concrete, it has a terrific perfume of candied strawberries, blackberries, violets, cracked pepper, and new leather. This carries to a full-bodied Grenache with plenty of savory tannins, a seamless, elegant texture, flawless balance, and a great finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 88% Grenache and 12% Syrah matured 19 months in 40% new French oak, the 2019 Beguiling has a pale ruby-purple color and fragrant wild berry aromas, with detailed nuances of earth, dried flowers and Angostura bitters. The palate is equally elegant, with dusty tannins, uplifting acidity and a flourish of spices on the very long finish.
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James Suckling
A chewy and juicy red with blackberry and walnut aromas and flavors. Bright acidity. Tangy and fruity. Chalky finish. 88% grenache and 12% syrah. Drink or hold.
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.