April 10, 2023 - the ripper and vertigo both together, ripper more bright cherry and vertigo darker as expected. both well balanced, with a little heat but delicious. i liked the depth of the vertigo a little better than the ripper.
January 20, 2023 - Limited notes, terrific.
September 23, 2022 - I'm with Daniel on this one, it was a bit of a disappointment. Lacking the structure I expected it was a bit soft and thin. Some nice cherry fruit but not a lot of complexity. Maybe past its prime?
January 22, 2022 - Medium red, blackberry, cinnamon, and grilled herbs on the nose. Cherry cola, upfront tart berries with a touch of sweetness. Soft tannins, ready to go but not old. Drinks like a Pinot in many respects. Cherry fruit bomb.
December 29, 2021 - Opened 30 minutes before dinner, served with homemade Chestnut and sage gnocchi. Bright red color, expressive, floral nose loaded with strawberries, plum and red cherries. The mouth boasts big, ripe fruit with some layers of complexity, but the tannins are just too soft at this point and are incapable of providing a supporting structure for the otherwise delicious juice. On fruit and depth, this could be a 91-92 points effort easily, but the structure is too soft making it a very enjoyable, but flawed wine. 89 points in my book.
Some takeaways for anyone stocking these:
1. This is much closer in style to a warm-vintage Cotes de Nuits than it is to a Southern Rhone, so consider that when pairing with food, and go for a lighter dish or some hard cheese.
2. I wouldn't drink this standalone - it doesn't carry. But with the right food pairing, you can really enjoy this wine.
3. Definitely pop & pour. No decanting, you'll only over-do an already soft wine.
4. Drink these now, because it's probably trending downhill already, but still enjoyable (I guess while top CDPs can go for 12-15 years easily, Paso Robles Grenache seems to peak at around 6-7 years, as has been my experience in the past).
December 24, 2021 - All red raspberry. Surprisingly low tannins and very well integrated. Elegant and gorgeous. Light red color. Beautiful. Drink up.
December 19, 2021 - A little over a year later I'd say more or less holds true:
Smooth & finessed. Black cherry, medicinal herbs, iron. Nice acidity and pretty delicate display of cherry, tart plum, lavender.
October 23, 2021 - consistent with notes of 2/16/2017
December 10, 2020 - Spectacular wine. Still going strong.
August 7, 2020 - Smooth & finessed. Black cherry, medicinal herbs, iron. Nice acidity and pretty delicate display of cherry, tart plum, lavender.