Winemaker Notes
Black raspberry, blueberry, orange pekoe tea, Fig Newton. Huckleberry tart, black tea, bing cherry, and cardamom. Svelte and athletic with a finish that has you wanting more. A total crowd pleaser. Oak impression is minimal, more warmth than oak.
Blend: 61% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Carnigan, 2% Mourvèdre, 2% Petit Sirah
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Rocks & Flowers wafts up with a Grenache-driven bouquet with wild strawberries, sweet florals and spice. Round and juicy in character, this impresses with a reverberation of zesty acidity that adds wild energy as ripe raspberry fruits cascade throughout. It finishes crisp and fresh, only gently tannic, while calling the taster back to the glass.
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Jeb Dunnuck
I also loved the 2021 Rocks & Flowers, a juicy, more fruit-forward effort that bas both red and black fruits, some peppery, meaty, graphite notes, medium to full body, and a great finish.
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James Suckling
Lovely nose of fresh dark cherries, blackberries, crushed strawberries, roasted meat and warm spices. Medium to full body with fine-grained tannins. Velvety texture, with a precise core of succulent berries and spices at the center and a focused finish. 61% grenache, 25% syrah, 10% carignan, 2% mourvedre and 2% petite sirah.
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.