Behind the Cork™ - Vina Robles The Arborist Red Blend

2017 Vina Robles The Arborist Red Blend ($18)

The Arborist is dedicated to the founder of Vina Robles, Hans Nef, and named for the arborist who saved the life of the iconic 300+ year-old oak tree featured on the label. Mr. Nef was known for his love of trees; he named the winery for them (Robles is Spanish for oaks), and put an oak tree on the first Vina Robles wine label. That same tree still exists on their label, and in their Jardine Vineyard as well.

Through Vina Roble’s partnership with One Tree Planted, they plant trees with a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of The Arborist that they sell.​

The Arborist Red Blend is made mainly of varieties grown in their Huerhuero Vineyard, located directly behind the winery in the rolling hills of Paso Robles. It is produced with a blend of 44% Syrah, 32% Petite Sirah, 18% Grenache and 6% Mourvèdre.

The clusters are cold soaked for two days prior to fermentation. Various pump-over techniques were implemented during progressive stages of fermentation to enhance fruit extraction and balance out the tannin structure. The wine was then aged in both small and large format French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for 18 months

This is a fruit-forward wine with complex flavors, moderate tannin and a nice finish that goes well with most any meal and is wonderful just by the glass.

Vina Robles The Arborist Red Blend is affordable and attainable making it a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Opolo Vineyards Fusion Red Blend

2014 Opolo Fusion Red Blend ($28)

Several years ago, I was given a bottle of Opolo Reserve Zinfandel and thought it was one of the best bottles I had ever had. I’ve remained a big fan of Opolo and have visited their tasting room during a visit to Paso Robles.

Opolo’s was established in 1995, and has vineyards on both the west and east side of Paso Robles. The coastal influence of the westside vineyards provides for intense and unique flavor profiles. The heat and dryness of the east side vineyards make it an ideal microclimate for growing Bordeaux varietals.

This Opolo Fusion is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. It is deep ruby in color with aromas of plum and blackberry. On the palate it’s big and bold with a powerful front of fruity flavors that trails off to an easy finish. Right out of the bottle this 2014 showed its firm tannins but after about an hour in a decanter it settled down nicely.

Be sure to check out all of Opolo’s super wines on their website or stop in and visit their tasting room next time you are in Paso Robles. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Barton "The Dance" Red Blend

2013 Barton Family Wines “The Dance” Red Blend ($50)

The Barton Family Wines is located in Paso Robles, California and Joe Barton is the Proprietor of “The Dance” red blend. He makes this wine in remembrance of Joseph Barton Sr., his father.

In 1994, the Barton Family established Grey Wolf Cellars with sights of running a boutique, craft winery focusing on small lot, high quality wines. Winemaker, Joe Barton has been doing just that ever since. Keeping with tradition, the Grey Wolf wines still entail small lot, creatively blended wines made from high quality grapes grown locally. In 2011 Joe released two new and exciting brands. One being the Barton label which entails a line of white wines and reserve reds. Joe's philosophy with the Barton brand is clean, dry, acidic and floral whites and best of the best red wines.

And “The Dance” is certainly in the ‘best of the best’ category. From Happy Canyon of Santa Barbera, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Malbec is outstanding. With only seven barrels being made, this is certainly ‘small lot.’

“The Dance” is medium ruby in color, with notes of plum and black currant and just a hint of oak. On the palate this one has great bold flavors, depth of character and wonderful complexity. Its tannins are soft and the finish is long and smooth.

This one’s a real winner and well worth being called a Behind the Cork™ Exceptional Wine.

If you are in Paso Robles, stop by and visit Barton Family Wines and Grey Wolf Cellars. Or check out their line of fine wines at www.bartonfamilywines.com

Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Vines on the Marycrest Mourvèdre

2014 Vines on the Marycrest Mourvèdre ($40)

Vines on the Marycrest is located on 26 acres of steep hills in the Adelaida district of westside Paso Robles in California. Originally their land was an almond orchard with some old Zinfandel vines. It is now planted with Zinfandel, Tempranillo, and Rhône varieties such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Viognier. All these do extremely well in the Paso Robles area.

The westside of Paso Robles experiences hot, summer days with cool nights due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. This large temperature difference, called a diurnal shift, along with the rocky, limestone soils is perfect for growing wine grapes.

This Vines on the Marycrest Mourvèdre is produced from 100% Mourvèdre grapes. On the nose you get nice aromas of cherry and plum with a bit of earthiness. On the palate you get a wonderfully smooth wine with candied cherry, raspberry, dried fig and fresh violets. It has bright acidity and an easy finish.

Check out the wines of Vines on the Marycrest on https://vinesonthemarycrest.com/ or visit them in Paso Robles. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Écluse Blind Dog Red Blend

Écluse Blind Dog Red Blend ($17)

Écluse is the French word for the locks on the canals. And, the Écluse name is very fitting for this winery that’s owned by Steve Lock.

During my last visit to Paso Robles I stopped in to visit Écluse and got to meet Steve. Besides making great wines, he’s also a wonderful gentleman.

The Blind Dog wines began in 1996 when their property caretaker, Duane Robinson, lived on the property with Bingo, his longtime, faithful companion who, due to glaucoma, was blind. They were great companions as Bingo would bark to alert Duane, who was very hard of hearing, and Duane would be Bingo's eyes. In 1998 Bingo had aged and Topaz, a spunky little lab/terrier mix came on the scene. Topaz became Toby to Duane and all at the Vineyard. As Toby aged they discovered she was a Diabetic and in the summer of 2008, Toby lost her sight. They then had two blind dogs on the property.

This inspired Écluse to create Blind Dog Midnight Run Cuvee as a Tribute to these special dogs. This red is a terrific blend of some of the best Paso Robles reds. It’s barrel aged from 14 to 30 months and really special.

So, next time you are passing through Paso Robles, take the short drive off Highway 101 and visit Écluse. They make a bunch of really great wines that you’re sure to enjoy. And, if you pick up a bottle of this Blind Dog Red, they’ll donate a percentage of their proceeds to Dogs for Better Lives, formerly known as Dogs for the Deaf, in Central Point, Oregon. It’s a real win-win! Cheers!