Dark purple with a wide clear edge. Dark-fruit aromas headed tropical–very fleshy in the nose. Banana and divinity, dulce de leche with applesauce and warm, ripe blackberry.
Tiny little mom & pop winery in Paso Robles just gettin going on the commercial side of a wine-label after playing the home-winemaking and grape-growing game for many years. Been following along for many years their progress into the pro-side, and now have a few of them to play with.
In the mouth, considerably more of the angst we associate with good Carignane. Beautiful grainy fruit, tight and rigid while still managing to pack a juicy sweet cherry core. A bit of briar in the nose translates into a HEAP of it mid-palate, but the fruit keeps pace, turning on a spigot of acid along the way. Everything dives perfectly into the finish, piercing the hefty tannins and slowly being monopolized by them. Your last memory is a green-bitter berry, and THAT is how I like to remember a Carignane at this young age.
2017 CIRCLE B VINEYARD & CELLARS Carignane Estrella District Paso Robles 14.8
Stephen McConnell 