Initially they were only grape growers, but in 1987 they ventured forth and bottled their first wines under the Justin label. Justin and Deborah Baldwin purchased their estate in 1981 and planted 72 acres in wine vines. $76-80 Justin Isosceles, Paso Robles 2018 That reinforces my recommendation to decant and/or lay it down for a couple of years. Since there were three bottles, this was tasted again on the second day, and it really came around as round and delicious after a day of being open. A bit raw and ungainly at this stage, decanting recommended or let it age. Blend of 83% cabernet sauvignon, 9% merlot, 8% cabernet franc. Dry as the youngest wine, the boldest and least integrated of the vertical tasting. Justin Isosceles, Paso Robles 2018: Deep ruby color cherry, raspberry, redcurrant on the nose black cherry, black and red currant, raspberry, blackberry, oak on the palate. The milky, creamy elements of the cheese superbly complemented this wine. With the higher tannins, this really benefitted when paired with the delicious cheeses. Oak, vanilla, chocolate from time with oak barrels. Blend of 83% cabernet sauvignon, 9% cabernet franc, 8% merlot. Dry bold tannic, but not extravagantly so. Justin Isosceles, Paso Robles 2017: Deep ruby color cherry, raspberry, redcurrant on the nose black cherry, blackberry, black and currant, raspberry, plum, oak on the palate. After five years of bottle age, this is smoother and softer than the succeeding two vintages, although all are high quality, rich, Paso Robles fruit-forward efforts. Blend of 85% cabernet sauvignon, 8% cabernet franc, 7% merlot. Justin Isosceles, Paso Robles 2016: Deep ruby color black cherry, raspberry, redcurrant on the nose black cherry, black and currant, blackberry, raspberry, oak on the palate. That is the story for another day and not for a wine blog, but we endured three days of no power and no water and I know we can do better. Welcome also to the fragility of Texas’s insistence on not being part of the national grid for power. Sadly, I was not able to participate in the live Zoom online tasting because, in Texas, we had no power, no water, and temperatures near zero when the virtual tasting was held. The tasting underscored the differences in vintage-notably climate-but also likely the effect of bottle age. Fast summary: all three wines were similarly excellent, rich, and tracked with similar profiles. In addition, Justin provided four cheeses-Vella Mezzo Secco Monterey Jack, Fiscalini Farmstead Old World Cheddar, igourmet Barely Buzzed cow’s milk cheese, igourmet Marieke Age Raw Milk Gouda. The wine was Justin’s flagship red, Isosceles, vintages 2016, 2017, 2018 Recently, Justin Vineyard & Winery organized a vertical tasting-tasting various vintages of the same wine. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.This is different wine review than I have attempted before. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast. Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines.
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