MAHA Estate | Villa Creek Cellars

50% MAHA Estate, 50% James Berry Vineyard Like all great partners, Grenache and Mourvèdre compliment one another in every way, much like Calvin and Hobbs, Han and Chewie, and Venus and Serena. Its vermilion color lures you in for an explosion of aromas that jump starts the olfactory system with notes of Tunisian spices, fresh flowers, clementines, hashish and musk. The palate is textural and concentrated offering a finish that goes on for days. A bit of short term cellaring will the play here. If you have to be like Veruca Salt, double decant it, sit back and enjoy the show.

High Road is in its 19th vintage. From day one this wine has shown its place. The subtle changes over the years have been the winemaker’s interpretation of the vintage. A dark ruby color (like those slippers) grabs your attention to let you know you’re not in Kansas anymore. Vibrant red fruits, Moroccan spices and black licorice jump out of the glass. The palate is elegant, dark and juicy complicated with cassis, steeped cherries, violets and grilled lamb jus. Texturally intoxicating, it strikes a perfect balance of opulence and verve. Take a position on this one, so you have a few stashed for down the road. You will be glad you did! Drink 2023-2040

There are wines of place and wines of style. Wines of place have that “je ne sais quoi” and wines of style have a particular framework to them. ‘3’ is a wine of style, a “made” wine, if you will. Rather than being restricted to one growing site, the winemaker’s pantry expands, allowing for the complicated flavor profiles you get from blending vineyards together in a wine. Historically, ‘3’ has featured grapes from 3 vineyards, hence the name. This year, it is a wine from two sites, MAHA and Kirk Landry. Both vineyards bring nuances offered by their distinctly different growing locations and enhanced by the use of whole cluster fermentation on one of the Kirk Landry Syrah lots. The deep violet color creates a kaleidoscope on the edge of your stem as you swirl it. Intoxicating aromas emerge as you swirl your glass: cigar box, cinnamon, limestone, and purple flowers. The silky and elegant palate conjures days in your granny’s kitchen with notes of marshmallow, salted caramel, berry pie, and nori (probably not in your granny’s kitchen). Don’t let this wine fool you. It says drink me now BUT it really wants some time in the cellar to fatten up. Drink 2024-2045

The western hills of Paso Robles and the steep slopes of Priorat have a lot in common: unique, rocky soils, rugged terrain and proximity to water. They are both global sweet spots for Grenache and Carignan. With 2020 Understory, a blend of roughly equal parts Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre come together to create a beautiful, seamless, and textural wine. The hue is akin to Dorthy’s ruby red slippers, bright and shimmering. The aromatics are a melange of red fruits, wild herbs, fennel pollen, and toasted marshmallow. The palate is energetic and athletic, medium to full in body with a dollop of raspberry confiture. The fine tannins and texture create a striking finish. Absolutely delicious!

This wine punches well above its weight class. The golden honey color grabs your attention. A playful and spicy bouquet of lemon curd, quince and ginger jump from the glass. A silky palate of grilled citrus, tropical fruits and nori blossom to an opulent wine framed with just the right amount of tension. The combination of power, energy and fruit here is something to behold. While enjoyable at the moment, do yourself a favor and lose a few of these in your cellar for a number of years. Drink 2022-2035

Since its inception, Avenger has been crafted to be a wine that is delicious, textural, age-worthy and very high in YUMMY-NESS. Many consider it our gateway wine: the wine you can roll into a dinner party with and check all the boxes…newbie, collector, old world and new world drinkers…CHECK. The amount of Syrah has varied over the years depending on its supporting cast members. This year, the band is back together and ready to play to SELL OUT dinners, BBQs, and stadiums around the world. Oxblood in color, the aromatics are seductive and energetic with notes of dark fruits, smoked meats, sweet tobacco and Moroccan spices. Black fruits, caramel, plum, and bacon fat come together to create a palate that is rich and energetic.