Palate
With Don Juan suavity, our Tempranillo never lets us forget its Spanish roots. Tempranillo is on its own time, and regardless of vintage, it is always very different than our other varieties. We embrace its uniqueness and let it hang out in barrel and/or bottle for as long as is needed. The coolness of the ’11 vintage is apparent in the brightness of fruit and acid in this wine as well as its tight tannin structure. It begs for decanting (or drinking over a day or two), and then the true romantic emerges. Always connected to the earth, red plum, violet, forest floor, black olive and cigar box flavors converge into a Tempranillo form of elegance.
Growing Conditions
Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
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
Unfined and Unfiltered
Winemaking
Fermented in concrete tanks and French oak puncheons
Aging
Aged for 17 months in 65% new French oak barrels and puncheons
