We recently visted Paso Robles for the first time. Mostly we drank GSM blends. We didn’t even visit the eastern AVAs (Paso has got something like 11 of them!) where most of the Cabernet Sauvignon is produced.
*** My rating and review on nakedwines.com
5-Stars
“My favorite red so far.
Blackberry and boysenberry aromas burst from the bottle when I popped the cork. (Clearly there’s no problem achieving full ripeness in Paso Robles!) This is a lighter (in body and tannins) and brighter (acidity) version of what I think of as the typical USA Cabernet Sauvignon. Besides the lovely plush black fruit, there are pleasant cedar/cola and roasted spice flavors too.
I think this is a brilliant wine that tastes great NOW. I get really tired of ‘monumental’ Napa Cabs and the subtlety of Bordeaux Cab blends is sometimes lost on me. Of all the reds from my first Naked Wines shipment, this is the one that has made the biggest impact. I can’t imagine it’s easy to rely on other people for grapes (winemakers are notorious micro-managers), but this guy certainly knows what he’s doing.
That said, I can envision a lot of people trying to figure out what to think of this wine. It’s a lot fruitier and a lot less ‘powerful’ than your average $80+ Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, the ripeness, acidity and flavors remind me more of a Zinfandel! Here, however, the tannins are virtually undetectable (smooth) until the finish, when a (I find pleasant) astringency kicks in to prolong the flavors.
I note a number of reviews complaining of ‘bitterness’ which is both correct and open to interpretation.
Nice work. “
Brixen Mortar Wines 