Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This is a new wine from Bob Lindquist, a blend of grenache, syrah and mourvedre grown throughout California’s Central Coast, from the cool Santa Maria Valley to the warm hills of Paso Robles. The range of climates gives a wine that’s generous and tart at once. There’s a simple, delicious clarity to its flavor, a red raspberry juiciness that hints at gamey savor at the edges. It’s polished and ready to drink, with none of the overt sweetness that muddles many California red blends at this price. Buy a case for summer cookouts.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Over the years, Qupé Wine Cellars has been one of California top producers amongst wineries working with Rhône grape varieties. The 2013 Qupé A Modern Red—comprised of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre—exhibits dark fruits, dust, and leather in its flavors. The smooth aftertaste makes it immediately drinkable. (Tasted: July 26, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.