Central Coast

• Edna Valley
• Mt. Harlan
• Paso Robles
  • Willow Creek

The 2012 Saxums have been pretty open since release although they did recently (last two years) go into a slightly shut down phase.  No worries, this bottle was pop and pour and drinking quite well. A blend of 73% Syrah and 27% Mourvedre  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slightly roasted meats and spice.  Full bodied with a lovely big texture.  Lots of black raspberry fruit on the palate with some blueberries over a bit of char and pepper.  Long finish.  There is a lot of alcohol here but it is not noticeable.  This is delicious if not for everyone.  Most

This is a reasonably priced Cabernet.  I had not tried a vintage of this in a while.  It is still a solid wine and a great value.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cassis, some cherries, a bit of dust and sandalwood.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  It has ripe, slightly sweet fruit but enough structure to handle it.  Cassis and cherries.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  Right now, this is probably better on its own but with a little age, it will work well with roasts and other meat dishes.  It should be consumed in thee next five to seven years.  

I had never heard of this wine before although I enjoy the winery very much.  It is a blend of 79% Syrah, 21% Grenache Blanc from the Paderweski Vineyard.  It is 17% ABV but not fortified.  Bottled only in 375ml bottles.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, chocolate and crème brûlée.  On the palate, this is sweet and does border on cloying.  The right food brings it back under control - something chocolaty but not too sweet.  The black raspberries and dark chocolate notes carry thru.  Not a lot of acidity.  A little goes a long way.  I suspect this lasts a lon

Truly one of the great Syrah vineyards in the world, James Berry Vineyard is the home of Saxum, but Justin does sell off some fruit and Mike Office gets some for his Carlisle winery.  Purple in color, dense and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, white pepper, slight roasted herbs and hints of roasted meat.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Still young with firm tannins, it opens in the glass showing black raspberries over char with a slight peppery note.  Good balance.  Bright acidity.  Long finish.  This should still develop further but no harm opening now although a few hou

This is a blend from Paso Robles.  It is 75% Grenache, 21% Mourvedre and 4% Syrah.  At age ten, it is still youthful but drinking great.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, graphite, black pepper and spice.  On the palate, this is big and full bodied.  Slight tannins.  Lots of black raspberry and black cherry fruit.  Great mouth feel.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own and will work with roasts or grilled foods.  It will drink well for the next ten to twelve years.  

Another winner from Denner.  A blend of 96% Syrah, 2% Roussanne, 2% Viognier.  Inky purple in color, a thin ruby rim.  The nose is big and warm.  Black raspberries, black pepper, slight roasted meats, slight black olives.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Full bodied.  Black raspberry fruit, roasted meats and herbs and a bit of black pepper.  Lush texture.  Long finish.  This is easy to drink.  On its own, this is perfect, however, it will continue to evolve over the next five to seven years and be more complex and food friendly.  It will go well with roasts and meat casseroles.  

This is a Zinfandel blend of 74% Zinfandel, 14% Syrah and 12% Mourvedre.  This is a big wine but it is drinking quite nicely right now.  Purple in color, slight ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, raspberries, a bit of bramble, plums and black pepper.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  A nice varietal complexity.  It goes down (too) easy.  Although there is no alcohol on the palate, it is 15.3%.  Lots of black cherry and raspberry fruit with some char and spice.  Good finish.  This drinks great on it own and would work well with a burger.  It probably should be consumed in

Torrin makes some of the best Rhone styled wines anywhere.  This is 30% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Tannat, so not completely a Rhone styled wine.  Close enough.  There wines are big and generally need at least five years to start to be approachable for my tastes.  This one is just getting there.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, plums, slight black cherries, blueberries, slight dust and spice.  It's great.  On the palate, this is big and wide.  Great texture.  Loads of black raspberry fruit with some blueberries and a bit of black cherries.  It's d

This is a classic example of how well these high octane Syrah's from Paso Robles can age and mature given the chance.  The bottle lists this at 16.5% ABV.  On release, many naysayers said it would fall apart after five years.  They complained about the heat and taste, many without even tasting it first.  Now, I will admit that I liked this wine young.  And, at age 17, I liked it even better.  Of course, if you didn't like it young, you probably won't like it now I suppose.  But, it clearly has not fallen apart.  It is delicious, complex and has years left.  This wine was made by Justin Smit

This is really in a great spot right now.  Drinking superbly.  Will it get better?  Perhaps, but absolutely worth opening a bottle right now.   A blend of 52% Grenache, 26% Mourvèdre and 22% Syrah.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is great with black raspberries, white pepper, black cherries, and slight roasted coffee beans.  On the palate, this is soft, gulpable but also deep and complex.  Black raspberries and plums intertwined with char, slight earth and roasted meats.  A long finish.  It is delicious and a show stopper.  No rush, this should easily do another ten to fifteen