Paso Robles

• Willow Creek

This is a blend of 67% Syrah and 33% Mourvedre from Paso Robles.  Of course, Booker makes its own wines but they also sell some fruit to Saxum.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice but there is some volatile acidity.  Whether it is too much is a matter of personal taste.  Very earthy with black raspberries, roasted meats and char.  Full bodied.  Great, rich texture.  On the palate, black raspberries, black pepper, some earthiness and char.  Long finish.  This is drinking well right now.  Well stored bottles should have another decade or so.  It drinks great on its own

Nice showing for this bottle.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black olives, and just a hint to bacon fat.  Medium to full bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with slight char.  Nice finish.  Good energy.  This drinks well now but should go another seven to ten years.  Nice on its own, this will work well with grilled meats or fowl and also roasted vegetables.  

White Rhone wines can be so hard to know where they are as they age.  This wine is very good, but much bigger, riper and blowsier at the moment (or at least this bottle was) than expected.   It is a blend of 70% Roussanne, 17% Picpoul Blanc, 10% Grenache Blanc, 2% Bourboulenc and 1% Clairette Blanche.  Medium golden with a few green swirls, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with lemon, vanilla, baked apples and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Moderate acidity.  Nice texture.  On the palate, lemons, vanilla and spices.  Good finish.  This is nice on its own but would be better with the rig

This is a very serious white from "Rhone" varietal producer, Saxum on California's Central coast.  One of the best white wines in the world being produced today.  It is a blend of 53% Grenache Blanc, 29% Roussanne, 15% Chenin Blanc, and 3% Chardonnay.  Light to medium gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great.  Enticing and complex.

Another very nice wine from Halter Ranch.  This rosé is a blend of 93% Grenache, 5% Picpoul Blanc, and 2% Syrah.  Salmon pink/orange in color, clear and bright.  The nose is "summertime" with strawberries, slight watermelon, slight rhubarb, and a touch of tangerine.  Medium bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  flavors of strawberries, watermelons and slight bitter cherry (not in a bad way) notes.  Good finish.  This is nice on its own, but would work well with lighter dishes such as Tuna or Pasta Salad.  Drink now.  

Great showing for this wine.  It is a blend of 40% Mourvedre, 28% Syrah, 27% Grenache and 5% Counoise from California's Central Coast.  This wine has matured brilliantly and if you have a bottle, definitely worth opening right now. ... I'll wait. ....

From Terry Hoage, this is a blend of 66% Syrah, 23% Mourvèdre and 11% Grenache.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is deep with black raspberries, roasted meats, black pepper, black cherries and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has big fruit; black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper and char.  Good energy.  Long finish.  This is drinking well on its own and will work with bigger food flavors.  It went well with spicy Indian style food.  Drink over the next ten years.  

This is a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah from one of the truly great vineyards in California.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black raspberries, some black cherries, black pepper, spice, roasted meats and herbs.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great energy and acidity.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Not quite at peak but mature.  Flavors of black raspberries and black cherries with some spice, minerality and char.  Long finish.  Drink over the next ten years.  Great on its own, this went well with a bowl of vegetarian Chili.  

This is a blend of 47% Mourvedre, 35% Syrah and 18% Grenache from Paso Robles.  While its fun to taste these young, Torrin wines really need ten years to really strut their stuff.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, plums, roasted meats, leather and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of black raspberries, plums with spice and char.  Long finish.  if drinking soon, give this five hours or more of air.  Drink over the next fifteen years.  Better on its own for now but as it ages this will work

This is a blend of 43% Syrah, 41% Grenache, and 16% Mourvedre.  15.1% abv.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is complex and strong with black raspberries, blueberries, black cherries, roasted meats and herbs, and char.  Full bodied.  Plush texture.  Great acidity.  On the palate, this is still young at age 12.  Juicy black raspberries with blueberries and black pepper.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is great on its own and will require bigger foods.  It would be great with a hearty beef or vegetable stew.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.