Grapey grapey grapey, all fresh and up front, but simultaneously wracked with black pepper and the square mint chocolate chip of a thousand Thrifty stores. Shrill and unbelievably concentrated in the nose, a black funky streak of peat tries hard to stave off the burn. Warm and gushing like your best Paso Syrah and green and edgily brilliant like your Tannat cousin from Mendocino who beats to a drum unconcerned with long-term marketability or a retirement plan.

In the mouth, your fears of hi-alc are dashed as the Tannat works its magic to alleviate all these spicy fears into varietal characteristics place, name, and token beautiful Tannat, and it fairly commands the mouthfeel with perfumed black tea and the grating sort of late-middle only this variety can provide.

So this is an unconventional blend, to be sure. And there’s a lot of argument about whether blends are cheating. This thing is only 14-4, and drinks like a Sonoma Coast on frickin heroin. Don’t put Zinfandel in my Cab, don’t put Syrah in my meritage, don’t put ANYTHING in my Pinot but oh, you know what? Put this thing in my fuckin mouth. This works. This works really really nicely.

2015 SHIRAH WINE SY/tannat 60/40 Paso Robles/Alder Springs 14.4

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