Nose
Seriously dark and brooding on the nose, this complex, tightly-wound wine unfolds over time in your glass, revealing layers of dark cherry, pomegranate, roasted chantarelles, dark earth, black licorice, roasted red meats with herbs, and graphite.
Palate
Red rose petals, barrel spice, and tobacco are present throughout and linger on the finish. The 2019 Estate Blend’s hallmark beefy texture overlays the flowing flavors as big structure sets in on the back palate and delivers a message that several to many years of cellar age will yield high returns when corks are pulled in the future.
Growing Conditions
Parentage: 78% Paderewski, 11% Catapult, and 11% York Mountain Vineyards
Stomping Grounds: Limestone and shale-studded hillsides of all exposures
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
Catapult Vineyard:
Directly in the heart of the Paso Robles’ Templeton Gap, near the acclaimed L’Aventure and Booker Vineyards, sits our Catapult Vineyard. In 2008 we came across 45 barren acres of extreme rocky soils packed with silicious shale and little limestone content. Just the type of soils we love; soils that encourage the vines to struggle while finding nourishment deep within the ground. The reward of this hardworking vine are berries packed with wicked complexity and intense flavors.
Though barely three miles from our Paderewski Vineyard, the pH level at Catapult Vineyard is in the high 5’s. A nice complement to the dirt over at “Rewski”. This pH difference, coupled with the cooler mesoclimate at Catapult allows for different flavor profiles from the fruit produced.
Planted: 2008 Acreage: 28 under vine, 45 total Soils: shale, clay, silt, rocky pH: high 5s AVA: Paso Robles District: Willow Creek Red Varietals: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Tempranillo White Varietals: Grenache Blanc,Roussane, and Viognier
York Mountain Vineyard:
The York family had vineyards on this mountain, and now we do too! In the spring of 2015, after much dreaming and planning, we began planting vines at this “cool climate” site (colder than Burgundy). Located just seven miles from the Pacific Ocean at an elevation of 1,500 feet, this property falls in the small 640 acre York Mountain AVA, which is outside of the very large Paso Robles AVA.
The soils and climate are very different than our other two vineyards; we get to try our hand at sand and sandstone soils (some areas look like you are on the beach) along with a very moderate climate due to the even closer proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Due to the elevation and distance from the ocean, York Mountain receives more than twice the amount of rainfall as our other vineyards and has characteristic foggy mornings throughout the year with cool breezes all day long.
Planted: 2015 Acreage: 21 under vine, 128 total Soils: sand, fragmented and fractured sandstone pH: high 4s to mid 6s AVA: York Mountain Red Varietals: Grenache, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon White Varietals: Viognier and Roussanne.
Bottling
Graduation: Bottled August 3, 2021 | Debut: Released Spring 2022
Winemaking
Rearing: Fermented in concrete, stainless steel, and oak tanks
Aging
Education: Aged 19 months in French oak barrels and puncheons (31% new)
