WINERY REFLECTIONS

Crushed strawberry, star anise, blackberry preserves. Prickly pear, wild bramble, baked plum. A notably muscular yet mysterious fruit core highlighted by raspberry compote, Mission fig, and blueberry skin erupts with serious richness and extraction while notes of peat moss, forest floor, and fennel contribute a range of intriguing herbal underpinnings. Wafts of rose petal, apple blossom, and wisteria playfully impart interesting floral perfume that dances alongside lifted spice tones of vanilla, nutmeg, and paprika. Hints of asphalt and broken limestone gradually expose streaks of pleasant minerality and earthiness before fading into a delightfully peppery finish. Tremendously bold and extracted on the palate while remaining nicely balanced and multidimensional; exhibiting a full throttle yet beautifully layered presentation that marries ripe fruit with a plethora of delicious savory flavors. Full bodied with moderate levels of tannin and acidity. This 2018 Willow Creek District Grenache by Caliza Winery is a complex and powerful red from Paso Robles.

Located in the limestone-littered hills that sit southwest of the town of Paso Robles, the Willow Creek District boasts some of Paso's rockiest and most difficult-to-farm soils that happen to also produce some of the region's greatest wines. This bottling, crafted by Caliza Winery using Grenache sourced from within the Willow Creek District, is an outstanding example of the heights this legendary French grape can reach in this unique appellation. This wine broods with a cornucopia of dense red, blue, and black fruits that are enhanced by lightly bitter herbal notes, bold florals, intriguing peppery spices, and textbook limestone minerality. Although it is big and high in alcohol in typical Paso style this maintains nice balance and subtlety, and will be great either if consumed right away or held in the cellar. Excellent.