Winemaker Notes
Delicate lily and cotton candy aromatics, fresh black Tartarian cherries, briar-fruit cobbler, satsuma plum preserves, chocolate covered blueberries, dandelion root tea, muddled spearmint, the palate is soft, sateen, yet energetic, lively, and full of mouthwatering juiciness.
Blend: 25% Grenache, 25% Zinfandel, 20% Syrah, 14% Petite Sirah, 12% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Mourvedre
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Bull By The Horns Red is composed of 25% Grenache, 25% Zinfandel, 20% Syrah, 14% Petite Sirah, 12% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Mourvèdre. It's scented of red and black plums with touches of tar, turned earth, coffee, chocolate and spicy undertones. The medium to full-bodied palate has generous, juicy fruit, supple, approachable tannins and a long, flavorful finish streaked with spicy accents.
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Tasting Panel
This in-your-face blend of 25% Grenache, 25% Zinfandel, 20% Syrah, and 14% Petite Sirah with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Mourvèdre shocks the palate with cinnamon and nutmeg. Incense, rose, blackberry, and bramble deliver an electric current of vibrancy on the first sip, paving the way for a juicy finish.
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Wine Spectator
Generous and juicy, with frisky black raspberry and currant flavors accented by roasted sage and savory white pepper. Grenache, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvèdre.
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.