Making a balanced, delicious Petite Sirah is hard anywhere, much less in a hot place like Paso Robles, but Filice has risen to the challenge. The wine shows Pet’s huge, lush blackberry, boysenberry, plum and coffee fruit, complexed with dark chocolate and seasoned with Asian spices. Yet it remains dry and elegant. This is really great Petite Sirah.
— S.H.
(11/1/2007)
Former Tolosa winemaker Ed Filice is off to a good start with his own brand. This northern Rhône-style Syrah opens with a blast of white pepper, then turns softly tannic in the mouth, with a wealth of blackberry, cassis, blueberry and cedar flavors. Shows great sophistication and complexity.
— S.H.
(11/1/2007)
This wine scores high on the deliciousness factor, offering ripe, lush flavors of blackberry and blueberry jam, dark chocolate, cedar and baking spice. With fairly high alcohol, it warms the blood and has a nice headiness. Drink now.
— S.H.
(12/1/2012)
This wine is rich and smooth, with flavors of ripe blackberry, freshly baked pie, spice, bacon and cassis liqueur. High in alcohol, it’s soft, warming and easy to drink with barbecue. The blend is mostly Petite Sirah, with one-quarter Syrah.
— S.H.
(12/1/2012)
Ed Filice is the winemaker at Tolosa Winery, in Edna Valley. This Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon blend is dry, fairly tannic, soft and ripe in dark fruit and milk chocolate flavors, with a nice licorice and pepper edge. At its best now, it shows real complexity and elegance.
— S.H.
(11/1/2006)
The appellation is the warmest in Monterey, so this is a warm-climate wine that’s soft in acidity and easy in tannins, with ripe blackberry, chocolate, cola and coffee flavors. Shows real flair and sophistication.
— S.H.
(11/15/2006)
A new bottling from the former winemaker at Tolosa, and a very fine, complex red wine. Syrah, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre and Tannat combine for a well-structured, dry Rhône blend rich in blackberry, cassis, leather, sage, tobacco, coffee and smoke flavors. This vigorously tannic wine should improve with up to 6 years in the bottle.
— S.H.
(3/1/2008)
Postcard Paso Syrah, big and exuberantly ripe in blackberry, chocolate and licorice flavors and exotic spices. It’s soft in acids, with dusty, fine tannins that provide good grip and structure. Made with grapes from the east and west sides.
— S.H.
(11/15/2006)