Made with Portuguese varieties, this is a real Port-like wine. It’s supersweet, just fabulously rich in blackberry, chocolate, coffee and vanilla flavors, and all that richness is beautifully balanced with crisp acids and smooth, succulently ripe tannins. The finish goes on. A great price.
— S.H.
(12/1/2007)
Rich perfume of honey, peach, smoke and a green minty or anise note; lively and fresh. Very clean and balanced. It’s on the austere, herbal-mineral side, with tight citrus flavors and crisp acidity. Notable for its fine structure.
— S.H.
(10/1/1999)
Cherry and plum fruit wears clove, and even curry, accents in this solid, heavily cedar-tinged wine from South Coast veteran Daniel Gehrs. Smoothly textured, toasty and chocolatey in the mouth, it turns sweet and sour, with tangy tannins and white pepper on the long back end. Top Value.
— W.E.
(11/1/2001)
Dry and delicious, this elegant wine straddles the line between ripe blackberry and plum flavors and earthier, peppery ones. The finish is distinguished and prolonged. Notable for its balanced structure. The wine’s firm tannins suggest short-term aging.
— S.H.
(11/15/2001)
This dessert wine is sweetly complex, with apricot jam, peach pie, honeysuckle, vanilla fudge and smoky butterscotch flavors. Fortunately, the acidity is fine and crisp, providing a clean balance to the sweetness.
— S.H.
(12/1/2007)
Plummy fruit supported by nice acids and a chewy mouthfeel give this Paso Robles offering great appeal. A sweet-and-sour quality marks the fruit, and some intriguing spicy notes add to the package. Nicely structured, it has positive tension but isn’t hard, and closes with lots of spice and even, dusty tannins.
— W.E.
(10/1/2001)
A lavishly oaked but tasty wine. Aromas are of vanilla, nuts and smoke; coconut and vanilla is piled on mixed berry fruit on the palate. Lush and supple feel; closes with a reprise of the earlier notes.
— W.E.
(9/1/2005)
This is a young and likeable Syrah. It opens with a blast of white pepper, cherry and raspberry aromas and turns fruity in the mouth. The rich, dry tannins and spicy flourish lend it an edge of interest.
— S.H.
(3/1/2004)