2015 Paso Robles Tempranillo - Artisan Uprising

Brambly blackberry, smashed flowers, sour cherry. Underripe plum, tree bark, wild raspberry. Chaparral and desert shrubs, crushed dill and weathered wood. Raw home-grown fruit blushes with fruity juicy tartness, radiating fresh cranberry and blueberry in their purest unwashed and unmanicured form. Briar, moss, and poblano pepper contribute natural complexity while notes of parched soil and sand complement subtle elements of earth. Medium in body with elevated levels of both tannin and acidity, showcasing a particularly tense & gritty tannin profile and a sense of tart extraction despite sitting at a mere 12.1% ABV. This 2015 Paso Robles Tempranillo by Artisan Uprising is uniquely wild and bright take on a classic Spanish grape.

Tempranillo is an early-ripening dark skinned grape variety commonly found in many parts of Spain and Portugal. It thrives in warm climates yet must be picked relatively early to retain its varietal character, and it is known be very temperamental if not cared for correctly. This bottling, crafted by Artisan Uprising using Tempranillo sourced from the east side of Paso Robles, is a fascinating expression of what this grape can achieve when grown in California's central coast. It is fruit-driven and juicy yet contains threads of the spicy herbaceousness that Tempranillo can be known for in its homeland. The alcohol level here is surprisingly low for Paso Robles and actually makes this quite refreshing and crushable. This is an interesting wine that would make an excellent choice to drink slightly chilled during a warm summer evening BBQ.