This Cabernet Sauvignon is pure Paso Robles, full of polished aromas of black cherry, cinnamon and vanilla bean, leading to flavors of dark red fruits, cocoa powder and hints of black pepper and caramelized oak. Rich yet smooth, this wine is very approachable now, and will continue to mature for years to come.
90pts Wine Enthusiast, 2019 vintage. This reliable bottling grows more interesting with each vintage, in this case offering clean blackberry jam and hints of purple flowers on the nose. There is an impressive though not overly imposing layer of tannins on the sip, where boysenberry and black cherry flavors remain fresh into the slightly sticky finish. -Matt Kettmann
92pts Wine & Spirits. This leads with plum scents and plum-skin flavors, dark and weighty. The extracted fruit is flavorful, the texture saturated, with only the lightest of oak notes. For smoked pork. -Patrick Comiskey
APPELLATION:
Paso Robles
VARIETALS:
83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah (from Edna Valley), 6% Petite Sirah
HARVEST DATES:
October 3, 2019 – October 29, 2019
AGING:
18 months
FERMENTATION:
Fermented at 82˚F for 10 to 14 days
OAK:
Combination of New French Oak and American Oak
ALCOHOL:
14.5%
PH:
N/A
BOTTLING DATE:
N/A
The 2019 vintage in Paso Robles benefited from a long summer without excessive heat. A later than normal harvest, without any heat spikes, allowed the grapes to reach their full ripeness while retaining acidity. The 2019 vintage will be celebrated upon release and in years to come.
Coming from hand-selected vineyard sites, this wine showcases the power and lushness of Cabernets from Paso Robles. Beloved for its rolling hills East of the Salinas River and steeper hillsides, cut by small canyons, West of the Salinas River, the Paso Robles AVA is a large, diverse appellation that begins six miles away from the deep, blue Pacific Ocean. While the hot days allow Cabernet Sauvignon to fully ripen, the Ocean influence and higher elevations of the hillsides bring cool nighttime temperatures that maintain high acidity in the grapes. Sourced from old vines, which bring the bold, powerful and opulent notes of black cherry, cassis and pepper associated with high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon. Cool-climate Syrah from our home in Edna Valley is an important part of this blend, as it imparts blue fruit and red cherry notes, as well as a noteworthy juiciness and memorably silky texture.