This thing keeps popping up on lists and I have been meaning to try it.  Finally got around to a glass and it all makes sense.  One sniff and everything comes perfectly into focus why this seems to be the new BTG alter-boy in the area.    And having a conversation at the table with my girlfriend while writing this.  It’s that serious of a wine.

Absolutely the most lush yummy wine I have had since… well… recent memory escapes me.  Closest I can think of was the 1998 Maddelena Paso cab.  It is very hard to convince oneself this is an earthy, fairly robust Spanish grape typically with a bit of funk and basically an obscure variety in California.  They have definitely turned this into the cheese-plate winner.  The Central Coast Cheerleaders and Ladies Who Lunch will be lining up in droves behind this thing.

There is enough oak to choke a beaver.  Massive waves of it come blasting out of the glass even before you notice how dense and fairly extracted this particular Tempranillo is.  A bit of acid lurking in the finish with the supple peppery tannin, but the front-and-center show-stopper is the gigantic oak obscuring everything else except just a bit of the huge round jammy fruit, which is rich, over-ripe plum headed towards *prune*.

The ‘perceived sweetness’ of this thing is undeniable.  Blind, I would never guess Tempranillo.  Liquid Smoke®-drenched Merlot with a splash of Franc maybe.  Just vapid and bland if you are expecting anything other than oak-drenched pancake syrup.  Have a lollipop instead.

2012 FILIPONI RANCH Tempranillo ‘Cronologie’ California 14.1

filipponiranch.com