Winemaker Notes
#49 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
This iteration of the James Berry Vineyard has got to be the most complex one they have ever made. The nose is not as lifted as the '17s were, but the upside potential of this '18 boggles the senses. It will only continue to evolve and surprise you in the glass... one minute it's all black licorice and fresh loam and then the next it's back to strawberries and shortbread! But wait, violets too?? Yes, so much violets. The mouthfeel is big, focused, and rich, but a little more structured than the G2. Silky seamless tannins. This JBV is one for the ages. Lay it low for a few year if you can. Many more if you can do that too! Either way, don't miss this one.
Blend: 64% Grenache, 16% Mataro, 14% Syrah, 6% Counoise
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Showing better from bottle than barrel (always a good sign), the 2018 James Berry Vineyard is another stunning wine in a long line of stunning wines from this estate. Based on 64% Grenache, 16% Mataro, 14% Syrah, and the rest Carignan, incredible notes of blueberries, wild strawberries, licorice, new leather, herbes de Provence, and candied violets all emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with an incredible sense of purity and elegance, flawless balance, and a huge finish. It has some early appeal yet is going to be best with 2-4 years of bottle age and will still be drinking beautifully at age 20.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 James Berry Vineyard is a blend of 64% Grenache, 16% Mataro, 14% Syrah and 6% Carignan. It has an intense, alluring perfume with loads of layers, its warm tricolored fruits laced with notes of aniseed, coffee, earth and blue flowers. The palate offers explosive flavors with surprising lift and freshness, silky in texture and finishing very long, layered and spiced. It's a lovely rendition of James Berry that presents its layered flavors in an unusually elegant frame.
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Wine Spectator
A knockout wine as always, polished yet potently built, with dynamic blackberry and raspberry flavors laced with garrigue, loamy mineral, fruitcake spices and smoked meat. Builds richness toward big but polished tannins. Grenache, Mataro, Syrah, Graciano, Grenache Blanc and Counoise. Drink now through 2035.
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.