Winemaker Notes
Avenger is the red blend that launched Villa Creek Cellars in 2001. Syrah from G2 Vineyard is the backbone of this wine. G2 is a stone’s throw from James Berry Vineyard in the Willow Creek district of the west hills of Paso Robles. The vines are deeply rooted in lime stone which give richness and complexity without being over the top. Our block at G2 sits on a steep windswept west facing slope that benefits from ocean fog and cooler day time temperatures. These conditions lend breadth on the palate and layers of flavor to the wines. Denner and Luna Matta Mourvèdre add a bass note of dark fruit. This wine is all about hedonistic pleasure! Drink 2017-2027.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The New World GSMs keep on coming, and the 2016 Villa Creek Avenger is one of the best. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows a nice juxtaposition between traditional and New Age. Pair its aromas and flavors of savory spices, black fruit, and earth with a slow-simmering lamb stew. (Tasted: April 23, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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.