Winemaker Notes
The grapes for this wine are sourced from Paso Robles vineyards: Giffs, Camp 4, Sky's the Limit and Happy Canyon Vineyard. The area's extremely warm and dry climate and rich soils are especially well-suited to the cultivation of Bordeaux varietals. This wine is fermented in small lots and barrel-aged for 18 months using 30% new American oak.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This blend of 33% Merlot, 27% Petit Verdot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc comes from both Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County vineyards. It shows aromas of elderberry, leather, dried leaves and cappuccino on the nose. It's lush in texture on the palate, where baked blackberry, charred meat and espresso bean flavors arise.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.