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2018 Epoch Estate Wines Block B Syrah

Removed from a professional wine storage facility

2 available
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Ends Sunday, 7pm Pacific

RATINGS

97Wine Enthusiast

Dense, detailed and dark aromas of purple fruit and flowers meet with cocoa dust, cardamom and shaved truffle on the intoxicating nose of this bottling. Expertly polished tannins cradle flavors of cassis, delicate fudge and lilac, proving utterly rich and mouthfilling while bone dry and savory.

96+ The Wine Advocate

...classy and defined, with aromas of black and blueberry jam, violet, milk chocolate, fried herbs and coffee beans...full-bodied palate's youthfully concentrated fruits are supported by an abundance of silky tannins and offers notable freshness that lifts the finish.

96Vinous / IWC

Potent, primary aromas of ripe dark berries, incense, violet, mocha and exotic spices take on a floral element as the wine opens up. Taut and chewy in the mouth, offering densely packed blackberry, cherry cola, allspice, vanilla and floral pastille flavors that show fine definition and mineral lift. The floral and spice notes repeat emphatically on a wonderfully long, penetrating finish shaped by steadily building tannins.

96Jeb Dunnuck

More iron, ground pepper, charred meats, and tapenade notes emerge from the 2018 Syrah Block B, a rich, powerful, yet focused and elegant Syrah that does everything right...plenty of chalky minerality, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish...

95James Suckling

A solid syrah with a dense palate of pure fruit that’s held together by fine tannins that spread across the palate. A beautifully curated red that brings you back for more.

PRODUCER

Epoch Estate Wines

Epoch Estate Wines in Paso Robles was established in 2004 by Bill and Liz Armstrong. The couple owns a major oil and gas business in Denver and they have long been interested in making Rhone-style wines. To establish Epoch, they purchased two historic Paso Robles vineyard properties. One was once owned by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish pianist, who fell in love with Paso Robles in the 1920s, bought property, and eventually made wine there. The other property was the York Mountain Vineyard, which was a source of grapes for winemaking starting in the 19th century. The Armstrongs replanted both vineyards and hired celebrity winemaker Justin Smith of Saxum Vineyards as consulting winemaker. They also hired Jordan Fiorentini as the estate winemaker. Epoch currently has 95 acres of vineyards, with nearly 200 more acres slated for replanting. The estate makes red, white and rose Rhone blends. The wines earn ratings in the mid- to high 90s from reviewers including Wine Advocate, which has called Epoch “one of the up and coming estates in Paso Robles” and “an estate that goes from strength to strength.”

REGION

United States, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

Paso Robles AVA is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and it is considered one of the West Coast’s most exciting winemaking regions. With its hot, sometimes searingly dry and sunny weather, it is especially good country for growing warm climate grapes such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Because many Paso Robles wineries have been successful with blending these grapes into Rhone Valley-style wines, it is known as the Rhone zone of California. The AVA was created in 1983 and there are 32,000 vineyard acres. In late 2014 the AVA was divided into 11 smaller sub-appellations, so starting with 2015 vintages labeling will become more specific on Paso Robles wines, which will now also list sub-appellations. Located in San Luis Obispo County, Paso Robles, the town and its surrounding area, was traditionally a farming and ranching region. But from a few dozen wineries in the early 1990s to more than 200 today, the area is quickly becoming known for wine and risk-taking winemakers.

TYPE

Red Wine, Syrah (Shiraz)

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.