Opulent and beautiful, from the moment you grasp the massive bottle through smelling and tasting it. One of my favorite Paso Robles cabs, and probably fairly off-the-radar of even devoted fans of the region. Produced by a couple guys with DECADES of wine-making history behind them, this 2014 turns SEVEN this week and shows EVERYTHING needed for another two decades of promising age. Thick garnet in the glass, its staining countenance bricks to ruddy orange at the rim. Plush leather and sweet cigar in the nose, fruit a dense cherry with immaculate concentration and complexity. Briar and loam play a great under-score to the ripeness, which comes off far more sophisticated than the typical Paso chubbiness.
Tasting it agrees on all points. Decadently bitter, the tannins straining at their fruity restraints but allowing everything to work together seamlessly. A mouth-numbing sort of seamlessness: shocking in both density and acidity. The blackberry, creme de cassis, amaretto and rose lie uneasily beneath peach-pit angst, popping out in all directions to lay polished, candied velvet on the palate. Tannin of course takes over the finish, where the citrus and mineral gradually fade into the still-throbbing black cherry.
This wine is still available on the website–an INSTANT cellar, basically–and will make a pleasant change from drinking your 18’s and 19’s!
2014 THOMAS WILLIAMS FERMENTATION COMPANY Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 14.7
Stephen McConnell 