Paso Robles

• Willow Creek

This is a blend of 41% Syrah, 13% Mourvèdre, 19% Grenache, 16% Petite Sirah, 8% Tempranillo and 3% Roussanne.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is big with black raspberries, black cherries, char, white pepper, floral notes and roasted meats.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great energy.  On the palate, this has shed it baby fat but is still youthful.  it took a couple of hours to really open up.  Loads of black raspberry fruit with black pepper, black cherries, some blueberries and a bit of char.  Long finish.  This is delicious on its own but may overpower most foods.  I

An unusual blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Tannat, 13% Grenache and 3% Syrah from Paso Robles.  Inky purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose has black raspberries, cassis, char, black cherries and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is deep.  A bit chunky with cassis, black raspberries and black cherries with underlying  char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Delicious on its own, this would be a great wine with a steak.  It will need big food.  

This is a mid level offering from the vast portfolio of Tablas Creek.  It is a blend of 43% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 19% Counoise, 5% Mourvedre and seems to be their counter-part to a high level Cotes du Rhone.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, black raspberries, black pepper, char, plums and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium to firm tannins.  Lively acidity.  On the palate, black cherries and black raspberries with some char and spice.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue for another seven to ten years.  Nice on its own, i

This is a blend of 82% Syrah, 14% Mourvedre, and 4% Grenache. 15.87% ABV.

This is a big wine!  100% Grenache.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.

This is a blend of 66% Grenache Blanc, 28% Roussanne, and 6% Chenin Blanc.  Medium golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great.  explosive.  Apricot jam, slight gun powder, lemon, orange peel and almonds.  Full bodied.  Just enough acidity to be lively.  On the palate, this is delicious.  A big wine but enough going on that it is vibrant and not stodgy.  Flavors of lemon, slight orange and slighter apricots with underlying minerality.  Long finish.  Delicious.  Still young but open and drinking great.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  Lovely on its own, this will work well

This is a really interesting wine.  It is made from 100% Picpoul Blanc in the Methode Champenoise style.  Picpoul Blanc isn't all that common but is usually found in the Rhone Valley or the Languedoc in Southeastern France.  This is (to the best of my memory), the only time I have seen a sparkling Picpoul.  The grapes are grown using organic and sustainable methods in California's Central Coast.  The wine is silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  There is a nice mousse of tiny sized bubbles that are persistent in the glass.  Very pretty.  The nose starts out showing some tropica

This is a white blend using Rhone varietals and made in Tin City, Paso Robles, California.  It is a blend of 48% Viognier, 19% Marsanne, 13% Roussanne, 11% Grenache Blanc and 9% Clairette.  My first time trying this wine and producer and it is delightful.  Light golden in color with some green hues.  Clear and bright.  The nose has a whiff of fruit but then is dominated by wax, sea air and spice.  With air a bit more pineapple emerges.  Lovely slightly oily texture.  Drying tannins.  On the palate, more pineapple with some lime notes on the finish.  13.7%abv.  It is so hard to say how this

This is another wine from the Michael Mondavi Family of wines.  This is the inaugural vintage of this wine sourced from various vineyards around Paso Robles.  It will be interesting to watch as they get a handle on what the vineyard has to offer.  That said, this first vintage is a very nice value in California Cabernet.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, char, spice and slight coffee note.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis, plums and char.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This is nice on its own and will work with gr

Not quite as good as the 2007, but still excellent.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, char, black pepper and roasted meats.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, juicy acidity.  Black raspberries, black pepper and char.  Long finish.  This seems about at peak.  Drinking great on its own, it would also work well with roasted vegetables or meats.  Drink over the next five to ten years.