Blackberry, plum, baking spice, graphite. Round and lush. Supremely structured with a long supple finish and hints of black pepper.
-94 points: Wine Enthusiast
This is our second release of this wine. We can’t say enough about the 2023 vintage… and Grenache shows it particularly well. We co-fermented this wine with a little petite sirah. The ferment was run hot with pumpovers to accentuate texture. The wine aged in large format puncheons (50% new) to help preserve aromatics. This is as Paso as it gets.
Sourced from Wills Hills Vineyard in the Willow Creek District from westside Paso Robles, this vineyard-designate Grenache was picked at optimum ripeness as we determined by measured parameters such as brix, pH, and TA, and also its phenolic ripeness, i.e., taste. After 2 days of cold soaking, lots were again tested for brix, TA, and pH. Cold soak lasted up to 7 days, during which time pump-overs were performed twice a day. Fermentation usually kicks off on its own. In some cases yeast is added to assist in fermentation and in some cases it is not necessary. After roughly 25 days on the skins the wine is gently pressed into tank for 24 hours, then gravity-filled into barrels where it remains for 18 months, with monthly topping. There is no racking and minimal SO2 additions.
100% Wills Hills Vineyard in the Willow Creek AVA from westside Paso Robles
