Winemaker Notes
The “Fundamental” red is a nuanced and complex blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Grenache and Viognier. A full-bodied wine that will easily compete with any wine to be found at this price point, this blend is loaded with character and offers rich notes of blackberries, smoked meats, and espresso. Drink the approachable wine now or age it over the next five years.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of roasted meats, blueberry compote, vanilla and nutmeg are very inviting on the nose. The palate shows hickory-smoked meats, star anise, clove and Dr Pepper spice, set against the rich dark-fruit flavors.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Red Wine comes all from Santa Barbara fruit and the blend is Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, and a splash of Viognier. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by a beautiful bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, violets, and cracked peppercorns. Medium to full-bodied, rounded, and beautifully textured, it stays fresh and lively and is another terrific, fruit-forward value.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep ruby-black in color, the 2017 Fundamental Red (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah and Viognier) has a gregarious nose of ripe, warm fruits: black cherry and blueberry preserves, raspberry and red cherry jam plus touches of nutmeg, cardamom, potting soil and charcuterie. It's full-bodied with explosive berry jam flavors, a firm frame and juicy acidity, finishing with plush fruits. Big, bold and delicious.
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.