Paso Robles, Central Coast
Tablas Creek Vineyard
Esprit de Beaucastel Red Rhone Blend 2008
January Wednesday Wine Committees are always a great as the red wines are required to be 11yrs old, making all of the reds 2008 vintage. 1 sparkler, 2 whites, 4 reds and 1 dessert wine were served today, all blind.
This was heavily oxidized on the glass. More brown than red. The wine itself seemed to be fine, but came across really tired. Didn’t get any black pepper here, nor spicy red fruit. Mainly clay, old cherry and some tobacco. I guessed burgundy. — 15 days ago
Justin Vineyards & Winery
Justification Paso Robles Cabernet Franc-Merlot Blend
Truly delicious from first sniff to last “ahhhh” savoring of the medium-long lingering finish. This wine will cellar well yet tastes so good now that I must show some serious patience to keep any for coming years.
Totally true to its varietals: 57% Merlot and 43% cab franc. The merlot provides lush fruit, with tastes of ripe raspberries more than other red fruits though one definitely pulls cassis out of the red fruits melange too. All that’s on the nose as is a hint of tobacco that becomes more prominent on the pallet and grows in dominance in the back of the throat on the finish, along with some licorice, and (Hey cab franc, are you listening?) dirty, finely crushed gravel+graphite. Very Little oak. I wonder whether it sat for long in oak barrels — perhaps the slight vanilla comes from some time inside those barrels and will show itself more with age as will the hints of licorice. Yes, I should definitely store six bottles to drink 5-10 years from the December 2018 I drank this delicious bottle — 2023-2028 — 10 days ago
Epoch Estate Wines
Estate Blend Red Rhone Blend 2011
2011 Vintage. 15.4% Alcohol. 38% Syrah, 24% Grenache, 21% Mourvèdre, 10% Tempranillo, and 7% Counoise. 56% from Paderewski Vineyard and 44% from Catapult Vineyard. Blackberry jam nose and fruit profile that did better with 2+ hours in the Magnum decanter while watching NYE programs including “I’ll have what she’s having”. — 16 days ago
Martellotto
La Bomba Cabernet Sauvignon
Nice medium big Napa cab. Great w food. Lots of fruit forward and some smooth tannins w good acidity. Thanks again @Jeremy Gold !! — 12 days ago
Clive McNish
It’s value for money night. This is a nicely balanced and very approachable blend from Austin Hope. It is a little more restrained than the Cabernet which can be a little too sweet and extracted but it has a great combination of fruit and spice flavours. I enjoyed this and would add it to my ‘bankers’ under $30 along with Orin Swifts Abstract and Daou’s The Pessimist. — 10 days ago