Winemaker Notes
#68 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024
There is vibrancy throughout Beguiling's palate weight, with stunning balance and freshness, through energetic acidity and remarkable fruit concentration. Arguably the most incredible version of this wine created in Law's history, they capture a seamlessly woven harmony of minerality, perfumed sage, garrigue, candied red fruit, cola and fresh flowers. Beguiling, not just by name but every sense of the word, spends 19 months in 45% new French oak, and just over a quarter of the final blend reared in Foudre and concrete egg, adding complexity through diversity in elevage. The loose-knit and all-encompassing tannins from Grenache, engulf the entire palate with bright vibrance, while the riper and opulently textured tannins from Syrah add to the body of the wine. Certainly, enticing in its approachability, while promising considerable longevity.
Blend: 87% Grenache, 13% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made from 87% Grenache and 13% Syrah, the 2021 Beguiling is another gorgeous wine. Black cherries, redcurrants, ground pepper, and darker, mineral, bouquet garni notes all emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full body, a pure, layered profile, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's another absolutely captivating red from this estate that will evolve for a decade.
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Vinous
The 2021 Beguiling captivates with its sweet violet and lavender tones giving way to ripe strawberries and cassis. Racy and seductive, the 2021 possesses juicy acidity and vividly ripe red and blue fruits offset by a hint of sour citrus that comes forward toward the close. It finishes wickedly fresh yet still lightly tannic with a lingering concentration as hard red candy and licorice notes slowly fade. The 2021 is a blend of 87% Grenache and 13% Syrah.
Range: 93-95 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Beguiling is a blend of 87% Grenache and 13% Syrah matured for 19 months in 45% new French oak. It has gregarious, youthfully dense aromas of red and black cherries and plums, pie spices and floral tones. The medium-bodied palate is youthfully coiled, with a frame of powdery tannins and seamless acidity, and it has a long, spicy finish. It will require plenty of time in bottle to unfold.
Rating: 94+ -
Wine Spectator
Tightly focused and structured yet richly polished, with expressive raspberry and cherry flavors, while floral garrigue and savory meat notes build tension toward big but refined tannins. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2033.
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.