Central Coast

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

Plenty of value here for under $10.  First, the label tells you this has a vanilla and butterscotch oak profile with apple and pear fruit notes.  Both of those are pretty spot on.  The wine is deep golden in color.  The nose is red apples, with vanilla and slight butterscotch.  On the palate, this is simple and to the point.  Plenty of oaky notes; vanilla and some butterscotch with a bit of apples.  This is made for easy drinking and at that price, just fine for casual drinking or at a party.  

Really nice showing for this wine.  Light golden in color.  The nose has more fruit that the Italian versions of this grape.  Some tropical notes along with limes.  On the palate, the fruit parade continues.  A bit of underlying minerality.  Good acidity.  It has a nice freshness although I would drink these sooner than later.  Good finish.  Under $20.  

Inky purple in color.  The nose has boysenberries, black pepper and slight bacon fat.  On the palate, this is not as boisterous as other vintages.  Still, nothing under ripe or green.  Boysenberries layered with damp earth and char.  Lovely texture.  Long finish.  This worked well with food or on its own.  Saxum did an excellent job with the difficult 2011 vintage.  This seems to be drinking a bit earlier than is typical although it is still young.  

Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, red raspberries, anise and black pepper.  Nice.  On the palate, black and red raspberries with some black licorice.  It has some complexity and depth although it could use a bit more.  Nice finish.  It is drinking well now though it might not be at peak.  Not sure if it will get any better though.  It really is good even if I hoped for more.  

This is very solid Cab.  Its always been a good value as well in the world of California Cabernet.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, dark cherries, and spice.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  One dimenstional perhaps but quite tasty.  Nice cassis fruit.  Easy drinking.  A great wine for a crowd.  Nice finish.  

An old friend.  It had been years since I have had this vintage.  saxum has only made Rocket Block a few times and this was the first.  50% Grenach, 40% Mourvedre, and 10% Syrah.  The label says 16.6% alcohol.  Those people who said these won't last can take hike.  This bottle is still young and amazing.  Of course, if you didn't like the style young, you might not like it older although this is not the hedonistic bomb it was in its youth.  It still packs a punch though.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, black pepper, slight earthiness, violets and char.  On

I really liked this wine and find it to be an exceptional value.  While the exact cepage is unknown to me, there is some Syrah and other Rhone varietals (and perhaps some Petite Sirah), which I love.  YMMV.  For under $20, however, it is hard to argue the QPR.  Purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, a bit of black pepper, some dark cherries with a bit spice.  On the palate, this falls just short of being jammy.  It is deep with good acidity.  A delicious wine that is great for a BBQ or holiday party.  I wouldn't age it for more than a few years, but I would be curious about it. 

There was a time that I drank a lot of this wine (back in the early parts of this century).  It had been a while but this seemed to still have that level of quality.  At under $20, this is a very nice value for people who like ripe California Cabs with a bit of oak and lots of fruit.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, fresh cut lumber, spice and cherries.  On the palate, the juicy red fruit takes a more predominant roll with just a touch of oak in the background.  Mild tannins.  Nice finish.  All in all, easy drinking wine made to share with lots of friends.  

Wow, who knew they could make a Cabernet this great in Paso Robles.  Just a stunning bottle of wine that will no doubt earn a perfect score with just a bit more time in the bottle.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, baking spices, and a bit of cedar.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a lovely juciness to it.  Lots of cassis fruit.  An underpinning of earth with plenty of structure.  There is a lot of oak showing but it all came together with some swirling in the glass.  No doubt a couple of years and this will be close to or seamless.  It works with food.  Nice finish.  As I said,