Opening a Paso wine which is ridiculously funky immediately inserts an asterisk. Not a bad one. Just not something Paso Robles is keen on identifying with in the world-scope of wine-naunces. For me, this immediately garners MAJOR extra points: so rare is *funk* manifested in a region tourist-riven with “clean, fruit-driven wines”. Basically, whenever you read that phrase, run the opposite direction as hard as you can. “Clean, fruit-driven wines” translates to boring tinctures of over-ripeness and oaky splendor with NOTHING lovers of classic, old-world wines will appreciate. This is 99% of Paso Robles wines. But then you find something different. To wit:
Incredible dirty-baby-diaper gloriousness on opening, a flavor of funk in the nose both steely and earth-ridden. Glycerin-y to a sense, but ripeness translates down into the muddy ache of water and dirt blended with deep cherry fruit and the peppery angst mourvedre is famous for. Astonishingly Bandol, obviously kissed with California sunshine, a purity of spirit rarely seen in this AVA despite its vague accolades copied from tech-sheets by paid-pens around the world. I love PURE HONEST Mourvedre–as all of my followers do–and this little thing brings everything home.
Murky black in the glass, a density powdery at depth and granular at rim. Green, shocking vegetal in bouquet, the literal translations of which easily come as it crosses the tongue. Bitter and black, the fruit a cherry-reduction garnished with proper herbs de Provence and tapenade, it evaporates effortlessly on the palate while driving metallic spikes of structure into the throat. Sure, it could be called lush and possibly a bit flabby, but it’s PASO we’re talking about here. and despite that asterisk: this thing makes all your Mourvedre dreams come true. You gotta look past the bad label and worst TR marketing and trust me on this one. I don’t lie.
2019 RED SOLES Mataro Willow Creek District Paso Robles 14.5
Stephen McConnell 