92 Points! Dark purple. Powerful, smoke- and spice-accented cassis, cherry liqueur and licorice aromas are sharpened by a smoky mineral element. Deep-pitched black and blue fruit flavors show a surprisingly lively character and pick up vanilla and floral pastille accents with air. Supple and seamless on the clinging, youthfully tannic finish, ...read more
93 Points! (25% new French oak) Saturated ruby. Ripe, spice-tinged black raspberry, vanilla and pungent flowers on the expansive nose. Intense red and dark berry liqueur flavors are lifted and sharpened by smoky minerality and a suggestion of white pepper. Concentrated as well as juicy and focused, finishing with impressive length and sexy not ...read more
How's this for wacky? Paso Robles Gamay from 50+ year-old vines? Why the heck not. The wine itself is less like a Beaujolais and more akin to some of the mixed old-vine reds we see from Sonoma, but with a Pinot Noir-type mojo. Unique, distinctive, delicious!
95 Points! A blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Grenache, the 2015 Fleur De Solene from Guillaume is a ripe, sexy wine that shows the more elegant, focused style of the vintage. Possessing full-bodied richness, notable tannin, impeccable balanced and lots of cassis, black raspberry, crushed violet and charcoal aromatics, this b ...read more
91 Points! Just bottled, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is another outstanding wine. Black currants, licorice, charcoal and lead pencil notes all flow to a full-bodied, silky, polished and elegant Cabernet that's a delicious drink. Like the 2015, it was aged 11 months in 60% new French oak. - Jeb Dunnuck
94-96 Points! The 2015 Soul of A Lion is terrific as well, and while it shows the firmer, streamlined side to the vintage, it also has elegance and purity, with plenty of texture. Graphite, lead pencil shavings, blackcurrants and scorched earth flow to big, rich, structured Cabernet Sauvignon that's going to need cellaring. The 2015 is ...read more
93 Points! Another beautiful wine from winemaker Orion Stang, the 2013 Match comes from Paso Robles and is a mix of 53% Grenache, 31% Syrah and the rest Mourvedre, all of which saw a big chunk of whole clusters and 22 months in 40% new French oak. Offering a rich, heady bouquet of mulled red fruits, kirsch, red plums and dried herbs, this medi ...read more
93 Points! The Syrah-dominated 2013 The Tiller, which incorporates 14% Grenache, is another terrific wine from this estate. Coming from Kimsey (Syrah) and Glenrose (Grenache) vineyards, it was fermented with 50% whole cluster and spent 22 months in 50% new French oak barrels before being bottled. Its deep ruby, mostly opaque color is followed ...read more
