Dark garnet with an abrupt edge. Fresh fruit nose, fresh fruit dabbled in cinnamon and nutmeg and maybe flirting with brett in a beautiful glycerin-ey cellar-floor way. Considerably expansive in the nose as it gains air, and the black cherry and currant really start piling out of it. Still, a good chunk of tertiary candies itself alongside the rich fruit.
What year is this? Oh. It’s a 2010. Well that explains a lot of it. Late air sees things get a bit flabbier, and also that almost-decade starts laying down fat smears of chocolate and maraschino and while I’m trying not to remind myself this is Paso, I can’t help but see some of that ripeness. It would be really interesting to know what the pH of this is/was. It doesn’t feel like it is super-high alcohol–mid 14’s, maybe 14-7, but nothing inflammatory. A nicely done Paso, for sure. I can tell that already. But let’s taste it.
In the mouth, relatively restrained. For those of you who know me–or Paso Robles–restraint is a GOOD thing. Everybody needs a little restraint in their life. Supple and polished on entry, nice creamy blackberry runs hard into bitter pie-cherry and more baking spices before returning to more clear & bright at 3/4. The strong tannins are an interesting sort–as tannins always are in Paso situations and complicated–in this case–by Spanish varieties. Sharp and stinging, they carry with them a grainy muscularity completely encased in rich fruit.
This is a great-drinking wine, and one I do not see currently on their website. Wow. Find some if you can. If not, delve into this producer’s other reds, which all show familial qualities–this one just had almost a decade to think about it. Which is the true test, right?
2010 PER CAZO ‘Epigram’ Tempranillo/TintaCao/Souzao/Touringa Nacional 55/15/15/15 Paso Robles 14.5
Stephen McConnell 