What a pleasure to see an older vintage make an appearance in a blind tasting of current release wines, and one that obviously worth the wait. It’s got oodles of Paso Robles character (read, dense ripe fruit) but it defies past regional Cabernet conventions and takes things a step further thanks to solid backbone and real persistence. If you are into open-fire cooking, this is a perfect partner. A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Monterey International Wine Competition.
Defiance Vineyards, Paso Robles (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
By Rich Cook