The top wine of the estate and a blend that was the reason Stephan left Pomerol, the 2013 Estate Cuvee checks in as 43% Syrah, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot that comes all from his estate vineyard. It's locked and loaded with black and blue fruit, crushed rock, licorice and ground herbs, and I wrote that it seemed like it was filtered through a rocky riverbed in my notes. Serious, structured and tight, yet fabulously concentrated and pure, it needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will keep for two decades.
While the 2013s are small step back from Stephan’s insanely good 2012s, they’re still near the top of the hierarchy in Paso Robles. I tasted the 2014s from barrel and they might just rival the 2012s.
Wine Spectator 2014 (90 Punkte) JG 2011
Offers a claretlike mix of structure and flavor, tight, tannic and dense, with dark berry, mocha, cigar box and tobacco leaf flavors, veering toward dried herb and sage notes. The fruit pushes through in the end. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2022. 1,250 cases made. –JL
Vinous Josh Raynolds 2015 (93 Punkte)
Vivid purple. Powerful smoke- and spice-accented aromas of cassis, cherry-vanilla and pipe tobacco, with a cedary nuance building with air. Juicy and sharply focused, offering sappy dark berry liqueur flavors and suggestions of candied rose and mocha. Smooth, slow-building tannins provide grip to the impressively long finish, which leaves boysenberry and floral notes behind.
