Villa Creek Cellars
Avenger Paso Robles Syrah Blend
Paso Robles, Central Coast, California, USA
2018 opened December 2021. Again with the mint and allspice on the nose! I think it’s only the Villa Creek Avenger wines that have given me that scent combination. This is like the 2016 I rated two years ago. Cherries and a dry flinty taste on the front of the tongue — but the mineral dryness prevents the intense fruit from being too cloying (as you can see, I like a balance of opposites). The fruit continues into the mid palate where a bunch of calcaire high notes start kicking up their heals. They continue rising in pitch all the way into its long finish. There’s a lot going on here — And just when I’m about to get frustrated with chalky high notes, which are pretty intense on the finish, they fade, and a hint of cool red fruit and mint returns to my tongue. Lovely.
2018 opened December 2021. Again with the mint and allspice on the nose! I think it’s only the Villa Creek Avenger wines that have given me that scent combination. This is like the 2016 I rated two years ago. Cherries and a dry flinty taste on the front of the tongue — but the mineral dryness prevents the intense fruit from being too cloying (as you can see, I like a balance of opposites). The fruit continues into the mid palate where a bunch of calcaire high notes start kicking up their heals. They continue rising in pitch all the way into its long finish. There’s a lot going on here — And just when I’m about to get frustrated with chalky high notes, which are pretty intense on the finish, they fade, and a hint of cool red fruit and mint returns to my tongue. Lovely.
Dec 16th, 2021Sage and mint and a hint of allspice on the nose. And from what it’s nose nose told me, I was prepared for this wine to be kind of raw. But it has a lovely silky tannic structure that begins on the tip of the tongue and follows through, all the way to the back of the palate, into a very long finish. At first taste this wine feels like a medium- bodied Rhône varietal, but it releases all its complexity and body midway into the swallow. There’s a light taste of cherries on the front, but that’s it for the fruit in this wine. (Fuck fruit. It’s overrated.) Mid palate it displays notes of cola and dark chocolate, and it ends with a lot of high mineral notes (calcaire) at the back of the palate. Did I mention the long finish? You probably don’t want to pair this wine with any sort of food. Otherwise it will hide that delicate finish — that goes on and on and on until it slowly fades away. A beautiful and unique wine.
Sage and mint and a hint of allspice on the nose. And from what it’s nose nose told me, I was prepared for this wine to be kind of raw. But it has a lovely silky tannic structure that begins on the tip of the tongue and follows through, all the way to the back of the palate, into a very long finish. At first taste this wine feels like a medium- bodied Rhône varietal, but it releases all its complexity and body midway into the swallow. There’s a light taste of cherries on the front, but that’s it for the fruit in this wine. (Fuck fruit. It’s overrated.) Mid palate it displays notes of cola and dark chocolate, and it ends with a lot of high mineral notes (calcaire) at the back of the palate. Did I mention the long finish? You probably don’t want to pair this wine with any sort of food. Otherwise it will hide that delicate finish — that goes on and on and on until it slowly fades away. A beautiful and unique wine.
Apr 2nd, 20202017 opened on in Dec 2019. Leather, lavender, and hint of mint on the nose. A dash of cassis on the front of the palate which zips right past and gives way to a velvety tannic structure. And it’s the tannic structure that holds this quilt of a wine together all the way to the end. Mid-palate: High notes of eucalyptus and calcaire along side deeper earthy notes, all mediated by those red velvet tannins in the background. And as I begin to swallow I can taste the fruit again at the end (!) — ripe cherries? I think: “how is this possible?” This wine is dense and chewy, but also surprisingly light because of all those high counter-notes, And it has an extremely longgggg finish. My mouth is still tingling minutes after drinking this wine, and it’s asking, “what just happened?” This vintage is 70 percent Syrah, 20 percent Mourvèdre, and 10 percent Grenache. This is a brilliant wine!
2017 opened on in Dec 2019. Leather, lavender, and hint of mint on the nose. A dash of cassis on the front of the palate which zips right past and gives way to a velvety tannic structure. And it’s the tannic structure that holds this quilt of a wine together all the way to the end. Mid-palate: High notes of eucalyptus and calcaire along side deeper earthy notes, all mediated by those red velvet tannins in the background. And as I begin to swallow I can taste the fruit again at the end (!) — ripe cherries? I think: “how is this possible?” This wine is dense and chewy, but also surprisingly light because of all those high counter-notes, And it has an extremely longgggg finish. My mouth is still tingling minutes after drinking this wine, and it’s asking, “what just happened?” This vintage is 70 percent Syrah, 20 percent Mourvèdre, and 10 percent Grenache. This is a brilliant wine!
Dec 22nd, 2019
Tasty juice. Classic black cherry and smoked meats, great density and richness but a solid acidity. Big bear dancing. @Cris Cherry. Great with hanger steaks.
Tasty juice. Classic black cherry and smoked meats, great density and richness but a solid acidity. Big bear dancing. @Cris Cherry. Great with hanger steaks.
Jul 21st, 2017
