Paso Robles

• Willow Creek

This has shed its baby fat and is drinking very well.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, spice, white pepper, slightly grilled meats and leather. Great texture. Big but with finesse. No sign of heat. Lots black and red fruits on the palate. Depth. Manageable tannins. Long finish. This is delicious.  Drinking youthfully but no harm in opening now.  This is great on its own but will work well with roasted meats or veggies.  Indian food will work well too.  Drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.  

This is another great value from Paso Robles.  A blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Petite Sirah, 2% Syrah and 2% Malbec, this is tasty and a nice value.  Sure to be a crowd pleaser.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is dusty, gravelly with black raspberries and slight black cherries.  Medium tannins.  Some complexity.  Lots of big fruit on the palate - black raspberries and black currants.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This should drink well for the next three to six years.  Nice on its own, it will work well with pizza, (veggie)burgers or ribs.  

The Daou brothers have really added to the wine reputation in Paso Robles.  The make mostly Bordeaux varietals at all price points.  This is there inexpensive Chardonnay and it is an excellent value.  Silvery/green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has yellow grapefruits and smoke.  A nice oily texture.  On the palate, lemons, quince and smoke.  Nice acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks easy and is sure to be a crowd pleaser at parties.  Drink over the next couple years.  Nice on its own, it will work well with lighter foods or seafood.  

This is an interesting wine.  It is made by the two brothers who own Daou Vineyards from their very best vines in the mountains west of the 101 Freeway and retails for a very high price.  It is their intention with this wine to show that Paso Robles is also capable of producing world class Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is certainly the highest priced wine from Paso Robles that I have heard of.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is interesting and unique.  Cassis, coffee, iodine, sandalwood, and chicory.   Full bodied but not overblown.  As one would expect from mountain fruit, th

Tasted blind in a tasting of Tannat wines, this was ten years older than the other wines and nothing suggested that this was the "old" wine.  Still very youthful.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, xmas spice, and baking spices.  On the palate, medium firm tannins.  Black raspberry fruit with some xmas spice.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but still not yet at peak.  It should continue to drink well for ten to fifteen more years.  It needs hearty food.  Ossobuco with polenta would work well.

This is a blend of 92% Syrah and 8% Mourvedre checking in at 15.8% ABV.  Yes, it is a big wine, but the alcohol is very integrated and while it still packs a punch it is not noticeable on the palate.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, oak, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is still youthful although past the baby stage.  Lots of black raspberry fruit, some blueberries and plums with underlying char and black pepper.  This is deep and complex.  No harm drinking now, it is delicious, but this w

This is 100% Tempranillo from California's Central Coast - Paso Robles.  A very interesting take.  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, and is dusty with dill (American oak?).  Full bodied.  This is a big wine.  On the palate, cherries with dust.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Very firm tannins.  This seems like it will need time but I doubt it ever loses its "bigness".  It is also delicious.  For those who like this style of wine, drink over the next twenty years.  Glazed Pork Tenderloin would be a good match.  

This is a blend of 73% Syrah, and 27% Grenache from Paso Robles in California's central coast.  While this was a difficult vintage, Torrin seems to have no issues obtaining ripeness.  The label lists 16.1% abv.  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, iodine, tar, with a rich earthiness.  Full bodied.  Great texture.  The acid seems a bit on the lower side.  On the palate, pure black raspberries fruit with underlying char and earth.  Long finish.  This is very tasty and probably easier to drink on its own than to match with food.  If trying

Nice to try these wines with some age on them, but honestly, they were bit young and are still big.  For my tastes, that is just fine.  95% Syrah with 5% Grenache from Paso Robles.  Purple in color, ruby at the rime, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries with a slight dishwasher note (often found in wines that may have seen some heat at some point) but that minimized as the  wine opened with a nice earthy note.  Full bodied.  On the  palate, much cleaner.  Black raspberries, smoke and earthiness.  Moderate acidity.  Nice finish.  While perhaps not a pristine bottle, this was st

Every time I drink Epoch wines I wonder why I don't buy more.  They are expensive but given the quality, they are appropriately priced to the competition.  They are also outstanding!  This one is a blend of 36% Petite Sirah, 30% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre, and 12% Grenache.  It is very young and would be well served by further cellaring.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, black cherries, char, black pepper, spice and roasted herbs and meats.  Full bodied with firm tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Chunky black raspberries and black cherr