Wow, what a beautiful wine. Dark, not-too-opaque ruby with *just* a kiss of garnet at the rim. Dirty and soiled in the nose, perfect barnyard funk melded nicely with deep cherry in a strong–but unextravagant way–of getting the sturdiness and solemnity across without the clingy attachments the ills of fruit-forwardness often bring. It’s rich. It’s ripe. It’s bold. But the tobacco and peaty charred-ness give saline hugs to the fruit, with acid and cassis beating steadily behind.
I’ve tasted through most of Pomar Junction’s wines, but had never seen this one. I’m assuming from both the name, the smell and now tasting it, it is a Bordeaux blend with Cab as the main ingredient. But I don’t think Merlot is the second. I am guessing CF or PV are the next major chunks and *if* any Merlot, it is a small percentage at the end. Malbec could also play a part, but not really feeling it. This came up in a conversation on social media just the other day, and I maintain judicial amounts of PV can REALLY boost Paso cab up into the complexity arenas Napa and Sonoma seem to maintain effortlessly with straight cab. But we’ll have to wait until I read the label.
In the mouth, a wine showing the marvelous juxtaposition of both geeky complex and user-friendly delicious. This is not a bare-your-soul austere cellar-angel like Togni, Corison, or Dunn. It is also not the flip-side of that coin: a glowing edifice to maceration and oak like Far Niente, Austin Hope, Caymus, or Justin. Thankfully. Clean and beautiful, dealing dutifully in layers of structure and fruit brought to bottle in a pure manifestation of *what you want* in a wine. Saccharine-free and un-slutty, earthy briar and salinity bring blood-orange minerality to a boxy presentation of perfect blackberry on your tongue–clearly defined in architectural terms but heavenly in its presentation of mystery. Tannins are not something to scare the n00b away, but even here at 6, provide clear direction toward 10 or 15 years of rest with RIDICULOUS results.
This thing needs to be present at ANY Paso sweepstakes tasting of *usual suspects* of cab. The results would speak for themselves.
2014 POMAR JUNCTION ‘Cab Forward’ Cab/PV/ME (no percentages stated) Paso Robles 14.5
Stephen McConnell 