Winemaker Notes
James Berry 2014 is going to be awesome. Many different lots picked throughout our estate vineyard made the cut. Half were aged for their first year in large foudres (the Grenache heavy lots) and the Syrah and Mourvedre portions were brought up in 300 and 400 Liter puncheons, about 75% new. We then blended them all together and let them get to know each other in our new concrete amphoras for their last 6 months of aging. It is a wine that has a ton of richness along with an amazing spine to hold it all together. There’s an abundance of ripe red and black fruit, but it’s balanced by notes of leather and cardamon, maybea pinch of cinnamon and sassafras. It’s definitely a wine that harkens back to James Berry of 2007-2009, with maybe a pinch of the aromatic notes of 2010 and 2011. Not for the weak of heart. Also note that the Bone Rock Syrah block gave us such meager yields that we ended up throwing it into this JBV blend, it really brings an added component, although for the first time ever, there will be no Bone Rock produced.
Blend: 42% Grenache, 24% Mourvedre, 21% Syrah, 8% Counoise, 5%Roussanne
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The sensationally pure and seamless 2014 James Berry Vineyard Proprietary Red (42% Grenache, 24% Mourvèdre, 21% Syrah, 8% Counoise and 5% Roussanne) was brought up in a mix of barrels and foudre, followed by six months in concrete tanks. The wine offers incredibly rich and layered notes of black raspberries, creme de cassis, crushed flowers, melted licorice and peppery herbs in its full-bodied, impeccably balanced profile. Showing the more upfront, hedonistic style of the vintage, this full-bodied beauty still has ample underlying tannin, beautiful mid-palate depth and a killer finish that keeps you coming back for more.
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Wine Spectator
A dramatic wine that weds power and opulence, maintaining impeccable balance along the way. Brooding dark berry and loamy mineral aromas lead to rich flavors of currant, licorice, dried sage and smoky pepper. Ripe tannins frame the finish. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise and Roussanne. Best from 2018 through 2028.
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.