If there was actually a hardworking guy named Domenico as depicted in the label image of this wine, his labors were fruitful at a very high level. This shows all the flavor impact expected from Paso Robles, but without any extraneous ripeness and more linear energy than is the norm — by more than just a click or two. Another virtue in my estimation is that the fruit doesn’t seem to have been manipulated more than minimally and the oak is quite reserved, leaving room for this to pick up additional complexity from “tertiary” characters as it develops over time — rather than having secondary characters actively imposed on it in the cellar to gussy it up for immediate consumption. Terrific Cabernet.
Le Vigne Winery, Paso Robles (Central Coast, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
By Michael Franz