Bright ruby with pink staining edges.  Dirty grainy nutty plowed extravagance with a crystalline menthol explodes out of the nose with alcohol padding fresh baked bread into a spice-capsule you want to melt on your tongue.  Decadent ripe fruit invades every corner of the bouquet, driving everything along a shrill acidic backing into calm roundness.

I rarely get excited about Paso Robles wines–many of them are too fat, too ripe, too flatulent and obese to ping my interest but this one, but this one intrigued me from the first sniff.  Ignore the stupid label, I’m frankly blown away how good this wine is, and for a Paso wine to do that, well… it is very impressive.

In the mouth, grimy around the corners, everything tinged with abundant spice, and a fruit so energetic, so sexy, so vibrant, banging on tall oaken doors opening to cellars hung heavy with herb-laden boughs and Ritalin confiture.   Ripe to nearly a fault, but so intrinsically woven with earth and acid, you can’t HELP but love this wine.

2014 P. S. CELLARS It’s Rich Aglianico Paso Robles  14.8

www.pscellars.com