2018 Epoch Tempranillo

Opaque violet. Cassis, kirsch, dark chocolate, vanilla and licorice on the profoundly perfumed nose, along with exotic floral and spice notes. Appealingly sweet black and blue fruit preserve and candied rose flavors are complemented by oak spice and vanilla nuances. Finishes smooth, broad and extremely long, with well-judged tannins framing reverberating dark fruit and spice notes. This is a superb example of the variety, from anywhere, but especially from outside of Spain. Aged for 29 months in a combination of French oak barrels and puncheons, 54% of them new.

I always love the Tempranillo from this estate. Based on 85% Tempranillo with the rest Graciano and Syrah (co-fermented), all from the estate Paderewski Vineyard, the 2018 Tempranillo is tight and compact on the palate and has medium to full bodied richness, building tannins, good mid-palate depth, and more reserved notes of black fruits, chalky minerality, charcoal, and spice. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age, but it’s a rich, powerful wine that will keep for 10-12 years. Epoch is another top estate in Paso Robles that has seen incredible growth and change over the past decade. Now in a new facility on York Mountain, winemaker Jordan Fiorentini continues to experiment with new blends as well as different fermentation vessels, also using a touch more whole cluster at times. These are rich, textured, classic Paso Robles reds.