Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is aged over an 18-month period in 90% new French oak barrels, and a meticulous selection process yielded a blend of 80%Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot. The small lots singled out for thisReserve were picked and fermented individually with minimal intervention to ensurefull expression of the vineyards and vintage. This wine is filled with captivatingaromas of blackberries, black currants, Provencal herbs, and violets. The palateoffers a cornucopia of blue and black fruits and lush flavors of vanilla, darkchocolate, and brown sugar. Notes of peppery spice and minerals boast a long,persistent finish with round, silky tannins and acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Cocoa, cassis and loamy earth aromas make for a reliably satisfying aromatic combination on the nose of this bottling. The palate is more generous, offering rounded and ripe flavors of blackberry jam that are enhanced with oregano and light woodspice.
As Paso Robles, California has soared in number of wineries and gained in popularity, Cabernet Sauvignon has firmly taken root as the region’s number one varietal. Alone, it accounts for just over 40% of plantings and is grown throughout both the western and eastern sides of the appellation. Though viticulture here dates back to the 18th century, Cabernet Sauvignon didn’t emerge as a significant grape here until the 1970’s. But since then it has definitely made up for lost time.
Legendary winemaker and consultant Andre Tchelistcheff first recognized Paso’s potential with Cabernet Sauvignon in the early 1960’s. The calcareous soil and dramatic diurnal temperature changes of Paso’s westside particularly intrigued him. Today modern winemaking techniques and focused experimentation with various clones, rootstocks and vineyard strategies optimize the region's ideal combination of soil and climate to deliver the best fruit possible.
The results are evident in the glass. Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon can be mesmerizing, with rich aromas and flavors of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, graphite, toasty oak, vanilla and spice. The structure, balance and unbridled opulence of these wines impress from first sip to last. Not surprisingly, Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignons have steadily grown in reputation, not just in the U.S., but around the world.