Villa Creek, Garnacha, Paso Robles, California, USA, 2020

From two vineyards in West Paso with varying proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the Maha Estate and the famed Saxum site, the James Berry Vineyard. This is a wine of power that still veers towards elegance, big-boned with plenty of nuances that are really built to age at least 8 years. Elegant and savoury aromas announce this wine with sumac, smoked sea salt and bay leaf. The palate shows a freshness that belies the stereotypes of its Paso designation. Crushed violets and streaks of blue and black fruits come together around a core of minerality. Smoked gamey meat, bacon fat, and black pepper accented by savoury herbs and Mediterranean scrub all come together in a muscular wine draped in a texture of refinement.