Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the two 2016s I was able to taste, the 2016 Syrah G2 Vineyard is a true head turner that checks in with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Thrilling notes of blackberries, plums, peppery spice, and caramelized meats all give way to a full-bodied red that has plenty of richness, yet excels on its incredible finesse, elegance, and purity of fruit. It’s another awesome wine from Don Burns that readers should snatch up!
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: One of the challenges of producing a first-rate Paso Robles Syrah is to find the balance between ripe fruit and dried leaves. The 2016 Turtle Rock G2 Red Blend does an excellent job in achieving that goal. TASTING NOTES: This wine deftly combines black fruit, savory spices, and oak accents. Pair it with an oven-roasted chuck steak. (Tasted: April 29, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
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.