Regular readers of this blog have probably noted that Paso Robles is one of my favorite California Appellations. Numerous things about this area are appealing to me. One huge item though is how quickly new producers are coming on line. Rapid expansion often leads to wineries changing hands, new vines planted and all sorts of other permutations. All of that adds up to the excitement of new offerings to taste through. One of those new players in Paso Robles is Kiamie Wine Cellars. They have recently released their first three wines. I'll be looking at each of them over the next couple of days.
Kiamie Wine Cellars focuses on blending the best grapes they can acquire from mountain vineyards on the Westside of Paso Robles. That they focus on blending is no surprise when you consider their winemaker is Steve Glossner. He was the winemaker at landmark Paso Robles winery Justin for a number of years. That time included the period during which they received some of their greatest accolades for the proprietary blend Isosceles.
The first wine I'm looking at is their Cabernet Sauvignon. With 75% of it being varietal, it just meets the requirement to be labeled as such. The other 25% of the blend is Cabernet Franc. Grapes for this wine were sourced at the Halter Ranch. 500 Cases of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon were produced and the suggested retail price is $32.00.
Without delay or hesitation the Cabernet Franc makes it's presence known in the nose. Dark plum pudding and gingerbread spice dominate. From the first sip this wine shows itself to be a rich, ripe and bold expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. Significant amounts of dark berry fruit, nutmeg, black pepper and toasty notes define this wines mid-palate. The finish has continued berry and pepper notes with underlying mocha that comes out more prominently as the wine opens up. A wine this full bodied and expressive deserves to be paired with an equally big meal. Steak and Rack of Lamb come to mind as obvious matches.
Decanting this wine is highly recommended. It's such an appealing wine out of the bottle with an nose so outstanding it'll be hard to resist waiting an hour or so after opening it. But that hour allows it to smooth out and become even more expressive than it is out of the bottle. You're patience will undoubtedly be rewarded.
The Kiamie Wine Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is very much a modern new world styled Cabernet Sauvignon. It does possess firm acidity and medium tannins suggesting you could lay it down for about 5 years. An impressive wine, particularly for a debut vintage. If you like your Cabernet big, bold and full of appealing fruit, snap this one up.
Up Next:Kiamie Wine Cellars Kiamie Kuvée.
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