2019 Booker Vertigo EXT
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Tasting notes
Inky ruby. Expressive aromas of dark berry preserves, succulent flowers, licorice and smoky minerals; cola and herb nuances build in the glass. Broad, alluringly sweet and subtly chewy in texture, offering intense blackberry, cherry cola, fruitcake and mocha flavors and a suave touch of candied flowers. Shows a compelling marriage of depth and energy and betrays no rough edges. Becomes spicier with air and finishes youthfully tannic and impressively long, with lingering floral and mineral notes.
Critic scores
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Lots of dark plums, black fruit and sweet tobacco. Full-bodied and chewy, with chalk and mineral undertones. Creamy and flavorful. 48% syrah, 47% mourvedre, 3% grenache, and 2% viognier. Drink or hold.
The 2019 Vertigo, a blend of 48% Syrah, 47% Mourvèdre, 3% Grenache and 2% Viognier, is exceptionally perfumed this vintage, and winemaker Eric Jensen notes that this is the first iteration to include Viognier. It offers raspberry and blackberry preserves with accents of violet, mint leaves and blood orange. The palate is pure and plush, spicy and layered, finishing long and fragrant. Its structural balance and abundant fruits promise a long life ahead in the cellar.
The 2019 Vertigo is still tight and backward but has incredible potential. Ripe black and blue fruits, ground pepper, violet, and orange blossom-like nuances all flow to a full-bodied, pure, balanced Rhône blend with solid richness yet beautiful purity and precision. The blend is 48% Syrah, 47% Mourvèdre, 3% Grenache, and the balance Viognier. Give bottles 2-3 years, and it’s going to keep for a solid decade or more. Eric Jensen continues to tweak the style of these wines, and today the wines play in the much more elegant, streamlined end of the spectrum while still bringing plenty of classic Paso Robles fruit and texture. Alcohol levels are almost all under 14.5%, yet the tannins are ripe, and the wines have solid mid-palate density, integrated acid levels, and straight-up terrific overall balance. These all required plenty of air to show at their best, and I don’t think there’s a wine reviewed that won’t benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age.