Willow Creek

From Magnum.  This is a blend of 30% Mourvedre, 22% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 13% Tempranillo, 12% Grenache, and 10% Petite Sirah.  The bottle was opened for air for around 24 hours prior to serving.  Drank over two nights, it was consistent both nights.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, plums, black raspberries, cherries, gravel, black pepper and floral notes.  Crazy good and complex.  Full bodied and full throttle.  On the palate, all of those purple and red fruits seem to come out with underlying minerality and gravel.  Juicy acidity.  15.9% ABV but no s

My first time trying this wine.  It is 55% Grenache Blanc, 32% Roussanne, 8% Chenin Blanc, and 5% Petit Menseng.  It is fantastic.  Golden in color with just the slightest ruby coloring to it.  The nose is tight at first but opens up nicely in the glass.  Aromas of caramelized pears, orange peel, wax, and chalk.  Full bodied.  It is a big wine but deep with complex layers of pears, oranges, spice and smoke.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with bigger foods.  Roasted fowl would be a good match.  This is drinking great now and should continue for ten

This is drinking very well these days.  It is a blend of 82% Syrah and 18% Mourvèdre.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is great with black raspberries, roasted meats, slight violets and a bit of earthiness.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a lush structure.  Juicy black raspberry fruit over a bit of smoke and earth.  Nice energy.  Long finish.  This may still improve a bit.  It will make great drinking over the next ten to twelve years.  A nice match for ribs on the grill or roasted veggies.  

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

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 blend of 67% Syrah and 33% Mourvedre.  Consumed in the NY Jets stadium parking lot prior to the Monday night game between the Browns and the Jets.  A lot of fun.  While still very young, this was a perfect wine for the occasion.  Big, bold and delicious.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, roasted herbs, plums and slight violets.  On the palate, this has a wonderfully rich texture.  The wine goes down easily.  It is also delicious.  Lots of black raspberry fruit with underlying char and a bit of pepper.  Great energy and balance.  Long finish.  Goes great with

Torrin is a winery that despite critical acclaim, never seems to get the buzz of others from Paso Robles.  I guess that good as the prices remain reasonable and the wines obtainable.  Not that they are inexpensive.  But they are great!  Inky purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slight smoke, and some roasted herbs and meat.  Wonderful texture.  This, juicy yet lively.  On the palate, this is still young.  Firm tannins.  It is drinking very well yet, it seems like there is a lot of development still to come.  It has at least another five years until peak.  It shoul