We know that Spring is around the corner, but this chilly winter is hanging on for dear life. Not to worry, Vinny has some new arrivals that are sure to keep you warm as we wait out this next winter storm. Check out these big juicy Paso reds, and a current staff favorite Bourbon below.
Herman Story Winery
2018 Herman Story Late Bloomer - 64.98
Based all on 100% Grenache from multiple sites in California and aged 4 years in 30% new French oak, the Grenache Late Bloomer offers a Domaine de Marcoux-like perfume of kirsch liqueur, white flowers, melted licorice, and dried flowers. Exuberant, full-bodied, and incredibly sexy on the palate, it’s another rockingly singular, sexy Grenache…
2019 Herman Story On the Road - 55.98
95 Points Jeb Dunnuck: The 100% Grenache On the Road, which spent two years in 65% new barrels, offers a rocking nose of black raspberries, toasted spice, dried herbs, and earth. With medium to full body, a seamless, elegant, layered texture, and no hard edges, it’s the real deal and a thrilling Grenache to enjoy…
2019 Herman Story Casual Encounters - 64.98
Casual Encounters takes its name from the orgiastic nature of its origins as a blend of small cofermented lots. By giving up control and embracing game-day decisions during harvest, Casual Encounters best captures the lengths Russell will go in setting orthodoxy aside and letting flavor take full stage.
Booker Vineyards
Booker Vineyards has quickly skyrocketed to cult status among anyone in the know with Paso Robles wines. Since their inaugural vintage in 2005, they have continued to focus on small lot wines, with a dedication to finding balance in the vineyard through a dedication to organic farming practices. Located on the west side of Paso Robles, Booker vineyards benefits from calcerous, limestone soils and extreme vertical slopes. The end goal always being to create yummy wines with zero pretension.
2020 Booker Vineyards “My Favorite Neighbor” - 49.98
Sourced from exceptional vineyard sites around Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and south to Edna Valley, this wine is cultivated meticulously by the farmers who have become My Favorite Neighbors. With their dedication to the land, we are able to craft a world class wine without any shortcuts or compromises. Welcome to our Neighborhood.
Nothing will pair better with your summer soirée than the 2020 My Favorite Neighbor. This vintage features an intense presence of ripe cherries and plum. On the palate, flavors of blackberry and fig are elevated by notes of tobacco. The extended mineral finish is complimented by strong structure and lush tannins.
2019 Booker Vineyards “Fracture” Syrah - 96.98
Often described as a Booker flagship, Fracture is one of the world’s great Syrahs. Only the softest Syrah in barrel makes the cut for this dense and powerful wine. The namesake pays homage to the calcareous soil in our vineyard, the limestone causes it to ‘fracture’. Fracture is our most consistent wine and the 19 vintage is no different. Inky black as always, it shows off intense aromas of graphite, gun powder, and blackberry cobbler. The flavors on the palate mirror the aromas and yet are almost completely eclipsed by the sheer weight, volume, and length of this graceful giant. The finish is even bigger than the previous 2017 or 2018 vintage with notes of double espresso and seared rib eye on the close. Do not fool yourself and play mind games, buy big here.
Quench & Temper Winery
Brennan Stover (the longest standing employee for Turley Winery), in 2013, saw potential in a piece of battered land, adjacent to a quarry in the Adelaida District, with siliceous shale stone and Miocene marine sediments. He planted it at high density (2,000 vines/acre) and trained in the Échalas tradition found in the Cornas and Hermitage regions of the Northern Rhone valley in France. On +45 degree slopes and with no irrigation, the vines represent extreme struggle and resiliency -- DRY-FARMED and ORGANIC.
2020 Quench + Temper La Cantera - 59.98
50% Syrah, 50% Graciano. On the nose aromas of toasted oak, vanilla, and white pepper leap out of the glass. Red fruit, blueberry, and mint balance the spice and bring freshness. Fine tannins combined with medium acidity contribute to the long finish.
WHISKEY RIVER
Nelson Brothers Straight Bourbon Whiskey Reserve - 61.98
This new release from Nelson’s Green Brier is a big evolution for the brand. This high-rye bourbon is aged for four years before it’s masterfully blended into his expression. It’s then bottled without any fussing or meddling.
A vanilla wafer with soft nougat greets you on the nose with a hint of burnt orange zest, Christmas cake, candied cherry, and a little bit of apple pie filling. The taste has a moment of grilled pineapple that leads to brandy-soaked dark chocolate-covered cherries with a supporting act of zucchini bread, pecan pie, and a whisper of lemon meringue pie — it’s kind of like being in an old-school diner. A mild dusting of white pepper ushers in the finish with a smooth green tea cut with menthol tobacco.