Fermentation: Destemmed and fermented in closed top fermentors, with delestage daily for the first few days of fermentation followed by open pump-overs two to three times daily for an average of 16 days.
Aging: Aged 18 months in French oak barrels, 50% of which were new oak.
TASTING NOTES Our flagship wine Ancestor is our Bordeaux-style reserve blend, and an homage to the Ancestor Tree, the largest Coast Live Oak on record. Carefully selected barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot were blended for this cuvée which offers aromas of berry compote and baking spices. Rich and powerful on the palate, this wine has flavors of blackberry, cassis and graphite.
Pair with hearty meats such as beef, lamb and game.
Drink now or cellar 15 to 20 years.
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The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like fig, raisin, black currant (cassis) and oak. It tastes like raisin, fig, oak and vanilla. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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Our flagship wine Ancestor is our Bordeaux-style reserve blend, and an homage to the Ancestor Tree, the largest Coast Live Oak on record. Carefully selected barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot were blended for this cuvée which offers aromas of berry compote and baking spices. Rich and powerful on the palate, this wine has flavors of blackberry, cassis and graphite. Pair with hearty meats such as beef, lamb and game. Drink now or cellar 15 to 20 years.
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A nice, fruit-forward Bordeaux-style blend. 2017 was a hot year for Paso, making this a bit more jammy than I remember past years being. Its quite nice as it opens and mellows.
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Jeez, there's no way to write about this wine without sounding like a complete a_hole, even to myself, so I might as well go for it. It was given to me by someone who was interested in my opinion. That should count for something, as should the old proverb, don't look a gift wine in the mouth. I now summon my inner Henny Youngman. Ok, I warned you...
Let me get my cards on the table: I don't ever drink oaky, alcoholic California fruit bombs by choice. It's a case of personal preference and in no way is meant to denigrate the legions who enjoy the category. If you believe that, I've got a vineyard in the New Jersey Pine Barrens you might be interested in...
This is so inky dark you could probably make it work on squid ink pasta. I mean, I was afraid if I got too close to the glass it would suck me in like the gravity field of a black hole. The nose has deep blackberry fruits and waves of oak and alcohol. In fact, maybe it's called a nose because the alcohol is so potent it could double as a nasal depilatory. Intense and mouth-filling jammy red and black fruit, toffee, coffee, and Cocoa Puffs. Plushy with oak and relatively gentrified tannins that we can positively state don't add insult to injury.
The back label proudly proclaims, in ALL CAPS I MIGHT ADD, "this estate reserve is a combination of the best Bordeaux wines (sic) each vintage." So that means it's a blend? It's not a Meritage it's a Meretritious. If I was their ancestor I’d be rolling over in my Graves. Even Rudi Kurniawan couldn't get away with that claim and he's in prison. I could understand a loose translation on a foreign wine label, but in Paso Robles they are just passing gas. Below in tiny letters it says 14.8% alcohol. I'd believe that was possible on the first day of fermentation but not one minute beyond.
Let's be fair, maybe it could mellow out and become stunning with some bottle age. I'll wager if used as a weapon it could prove to be a real stunner. Take my wine, please.
We liked all of the halter ranch wines at the tasting. Ancestor was our fav. Next was their cab and then CDP (GSM style) which is wine we had at Allegretto hotel night before and enjoyed. Ought bottle of this and cab.
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2/15/2024 - RonSiegel wrote:
Excellent
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5/6/2023 - SacAxeman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent wine, decanted 1 hr, but was great the next day. Likely has another 10 years in it
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10/22/2022 - BruceReynolds wrote:
2017 Ancestor Estate Reserve
Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon,
30% Petit Verdot, 15% Malbec
Harvest Dates:
Cabernet Sauvignon - Block 7N: 10/6/17, Block 21L: 10/25/17, Block 30N: 10/31/17
Petit Verdot-Block 48: 10/3/17, Block 49: 10/5/17
Malbec -Block 47: 9/13/17
Fermentation: Destemmed and fermented in closed top fermentors, with delestage daily for the first few days of fermentation followed by open pump-overs two to three times daily for an average of 16 days.
Aging: Aged 18 months in French oak barrels,
50% of which were new oak.
Alcohol: 14.80%
pH: 3.77
TA: 6.1 g/L
Bottled: April 29, 2019
Production: 3,600 Cases
TASTING NOTES
Our flagship wine Ancestor is our Bordeaux-style reserve blend, and an homage to the Ancestor Tree, the largest Coast Live Oak on record. Carefully selected barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot were blended for this cuvée which offers aromas of berry compote and baking spices. Rich and powerful on the palate, this wine has flavors of blackberry, cassis and graphite.
Pair with hearty meats such as beef, lamb and game.
Drink now or cellar 15 to 20 years.
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9/30/2022 - Cweck wrote:
With Mary
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8/11/2021 - Rootmann Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like fig, raisin, black currant (cassis) and oak. It tastes like raisin, fig, oak and vanilla. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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5/1/2021 - westywines Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent wine for the price. Hints of vanilla and fresh blackberries.
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3/24/2021 - Rootmann Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding bottle from Kevin Haas that matches or exceeds Justin Isoceles in every way. Huge fruit with lonnnng finish.
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3/7/2021 - SacAxeman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Liked by all, inky, earthy... perfect with grilled hanger steak and bleu cheese/yougert sauce
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1/10/2021 - Trilogy Winer wrote:
Our flagship wine Ancestor is our Bordeaux-style reserve blend, and an homage to the Ancestor Tree, the largest Coast Live Oak on record. Carefully selected barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot were blended for this cuvée which offers aromas of berry compote and baking spices. Rich and powerful on the palate, this wine has flavors of blackberry, cassis and graphite.
Pair with hearty meats such as beef, lamb and game. Drink now or cellar 15 to 20 years.
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11/15/2020 - lauraehall13 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A nice, fruit-forward Bordeaux-style blend. 2017 was a hot year for Paso, making this a bit more jammy than I remember past years being. Its quite nice as it opens and mellows.
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4/6/2020 - bevetroppo Does not like this wine:
Jeez, there's no way to write about this wine without sounding like a complete a_hole, even to myself, so I might as well go for it. It was given to me by someone who was interested in my opinion. That should count for something, as should the old proverb, don't look a gift wine in the mouth. I now summon my inner Henny Youngman. Ok, I warned you...
Let me get my cards on the table: I don't ever drink oaky, alcoholic California fruit bombs by choice. It's a case of personal preference and in no way is meant to denigrate the legions who enjoy the category. If you believe that, I've got a vineyard in the New Jersey Pine Barrens you might be interested in...
This is so inky dark you could probably make it work on squid ink pasta. I mean, I was afraid if I got too close to the glass it would suck me in like the gravity field of a black hole. The nose has deep blackberry fruits and waves of oak and alcohol. In fact, maybe it's called a nose because the alcohol is so potent it could double as a nasal depilatory. Intense and mouth-filling jammy red and black fruit, toffee, coffee, and Cocoa Puffs. Plushy with oak and relatively gentrified tannins that we can positively state don't add insult to injury.
The back label proudly proclaims, in ALL CAPS I MIGHT ADD, "this estate reserve is a combination of the best Bordeaux wines (sic) each vintage." So that means it's a blend? It's not a Meritage it's a Meretritious. If I was their ancestor I’d be rolling over in my Graves. Even Rudi Kurniawan couldn't get away with that claim and he's in prison. I could understand a loose translation on a foreign wine label, but in Paso Robles they are just passing gas. Below in tiny letters it says 14.8% alcohol. I'd believe that was possible on the first day of fermentation but not one minute beyond.
Let's be fair, maybe it could mellow out and become stunning with some bottle age. I'll wager if used as a weapon it could prove to be a real stunner. Take my wine, please.
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3/15/2020 - Mark4w Likes this wine: 90 Points
We liked all of the halter ranch wines at the tasting. Ancestor was our fav. Next was their cab and then CDP (GSM style) which is wine we had at Allegretto hotel night before and enjoyed. Ought bottle of this and cab.
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