With the addition of 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, this Right Bank style red from Acumen’s mountain estate is a textural dream. Refined tannins are displayed thoroughly through the sensation of melting dark chocolate and luscious, creamy violets. Plum pudding arises with a weave of sage, tobacco, and cedar.
Winemaker Phillip Titus created an opulent offering in this vintage, individually fermenting two blocks from two prestigious vineyards, Edcora and Attelas. Juicy, rich boysenberry and vanilla cream are distinctively uplifted on first sip. Lavender and jasmine beckon on mid-palate, with chocolate raspberries surfacing. This expressive mountain Cab (with 5% Petit Verdot) shows concentration and power with a ballet dancer’s grace.
High-toned fruit and acidity are a great match in this vibrant red. Bright cherry, pomegranate, and red tea surround the palate with ease. Notes of white pepper spark on the finish.
A toasty start, with nutmeg and cinnamon weaved through strawberry jam and a pinch of white pepper. Energetic and bright, with plush tannins and a finish of cherry cola.
Banfi Vintners
This well-knit wine is an excellent value. Speckled with graphite and licorice, earthy plum openly appeals on the nose as well as on the silky medium-bodied palate, where fruit ranging from tangy cranberry to black cherry converges with supple tannins amid accents of olive and heather. The finish is long and toasty.
Quintessential ripe berry and plum fruit aromas are joined by vanilla and peppercorn spice in this textbook Zin. It’s grown on an estate vineyard 14 miles from the Pacific—the most southerly in Paso Robles. The result is a red of effusive energy and real charm, fruit-forward enough to sip on its own and with enough spice and structure to sing alongside grilled meats.
This value-priced Chardonnay finds a nice sense of harmony between richer, more buttery notes and a zip of acidity slicing through it all. Flavors of tangerine, ripe melon, and citrus pith are delicately dusted with notes of vanilla.
Sturdy tannins hold up graphite, Italian herbs, and anise, and take on a hearty grip. Herbaceous notes persist with an old-world style, melding with blackberry and black-peppered cedar.