Palate
Delicate and subtle at first pour, this wine opens up to reveal intricately woven flavors and structure as you give it air and time in your glass. Year after year, Block B wows us with its consistent and unique palette of brooding and savory notes highlighted by flowers and berry fruit. The 2016 delivers on all of these levels with a yin and yang of flavors folding over each other: roasted meats, black olive, dark earth and chocolate. High notes of black cherry, tobacco leaves, and white flowers send the wine ascending to the back palate, where texture builds.
Growing Conditions
Parentage: 100% Paderewski Vineyard
Stomping Grounds: One east-sloping white limestone hillside
Ethnicity: 100% Syrah, Clone 174, 100% Block B
Paderewski Vineyard:
Travel just west of Paso Robles, and you will find Paderewski Vineyard: 67 acres of undulating, steep, limestone rich hillsides within 570 rural, spring-fed acres. In the early 1900’s, this vineyard was cherished and farmed by world-renowned pianist, Polish diplomat, and vintner, Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Fast forward a century, and this property stood forgotten and fallow. Lucky for us, in 2004, we became the stewards of this amazing piece of property.
Planted: 2004 Acreage: 95 under vine, 570 total Soils: limestone, calcareous, rocky pH: low to mid 8 AVA: Paso Robles District: Willow Creek Red Varietals: Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel White Varietals: Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, and Viognier
Bottling
Graduation: Bottled July 25, 2018 | Debut: Released Fall 2019
Winemaking
Rearing: Fermented in 100% new French oak puncheons and stainless steel tank (overall 20% whole cluster)
Aging
ged 19 months in French oak mid-sized barrels and puncheons (80% new)
