Winemaker Notes
After aging in French and American barrels for 24 months, our wine revealsripe flavors of black plum and currant with accents of vanilla and darkchocolate. Structured tannins provide texture and depth with a lengthy finish.Enjoy the darkness!
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
This meaty, chewy red, aged in French and American oak, is sourced from Irick Vineyard. Perfumed with deep cherry, roasted coffee, and iron, it has amazing depth, while high-toned acidity makes it a great pairing partner. Plum, spiced currant, and fennel meld with earth, sage, and broad-shouldered tannins on the palate.
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Wine Enthusiast
Dark boysenberry aromas are quite boisterous on the nose of this bottling, and pair well with the smoky oak tones. The palate is full of clean dark fruit and flowers as well as vanilla, riding a strong acidity deep into the finish.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
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.