2010 Epoch Syrah Block B
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The Block B Syrah from Paderewski vineyard has shifted style over the years, as winemaker Jordan Fiorentini has tempered down on ripeness and alcohol. "This was my first year here, and it's ripe because it hung for a long time," she notes—this iteration was harvested on October 6-20 and clocks in at 16.2% alcohol. It was made with 15% whole cluster and aged 20 months in 56% new oak. It's still a lovely Syrah, ruby-black in color with wafts of tar and chargrill that give way to concentrated scents of cassis and violet. The palate is full-bodied, firm and ripe, with concentrated, spicy dark fruits and just enough freshness on the finish. 314 cases were made.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Dark cherries, plums, melted road tar, licorice and smoke literally burst from the glass in the 2010 Block B, 100% Syrah from a block within Paderewski. Rich, full-bodied and voluptuous, the 2010 is a Paso Robles Syrah. The broad shouldered style is all about power. The 2012 was done half in concrete and half in oak.
One of the most compelling wines in the Epoch lineup is the 2010 Block B, a 100% Syrah taken from a single block within the estate's Paderewski vineyard. Today, the 2010 comes across as big, massive and super-concentrated, with the new oak tannins dominating much of the wine's overall balance. This is a decidedly huge, explosive style of Syrah. My impression is that the new oak is too prominent. This is a classic example of typical Paso fruit that is so rich on its own it basically needs nothing else. I found the 2011, which I tasted from barrel, more interesting as well as nuanced.
Even better, but made in a more fresh, elegant frame, the 2010 Block B is an absolutely thrilling blend of 100% Syrah, aged in 82% new French oak, that comes from a single block of the estate vineyards. Showing gorgeous purity and depth, with clean, fresh aromas of black currants, wet stone like minerality, pepper, spice, and chalk, it is full-bodied, perfectly put together, and balanced, with a blockbuster, structured finish. My favorite of the lineup up and a complete wine, it needs 2-3 years of bottle age, and will thrill for over a decade.