Wines

From the winery: Our second label wine, KEOLA is comprised of barrels and lots from the same vineyards that make up our top-tier Aaron cuvées. These barrels are declassified lots and extra barrels that simply don't find their way into our flagship wines, thus we blend them into KEOLA, our everyday drinking red that massively overdelivers for the price point. Juicy, vibrant and intensely aromatic, its a medium-bodied, absolutely delicious wine that goes with any place, any dish, and any time of day. Comprised mostly of Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Mourvèdre it's a rich and savory, with a blue/red fruit profile and notes of grilled meats and sage/underbrush. The palate is luscious and juicy, loaded with flavors of macerated cherries, cocoa powder, toasty oak, and licorice. Aged for 18 month is 100% French oak, 50% new, it's a wine that will certainly age in the cellar, but we recommend cracking it open now and enjoying it through the remainder of this year!

92 Points! A good value, the 2023 Keola Red offers juicy darker fruits, peppery herbs, and sappy, floral notes. Based on 45% Petite Sirah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Syrah aged 18 months in 25% new French oak, it's medium to full-bodied, ripe, round, and supple, with no hard edges. This is a pleasure-bent, impeccably made red to drink over the coming 5-6 years. ..As always, Aaron Jackson makes a ripe, powerful style of wine that brings ample fruit and texture while staying nicely balanced. - Jeb Dunnuck

Sourcing:

Petite Sirah - Dusi Vineyards (Templeton Gap District), St Peter of Alcantara (Willow Creek District next door to Pesenti Vineyard)
Syrah - Maison Mason (Willow Creek District next to notable vineyards like Terry Hoage, Paderewski). And Caelesta Vineyard (Templeton Gap)
Cabernet - Old Bailey Vineyard (Adelaida District, oldest vine Cab on the westside, own rooted in 1969 and right next door to HMR Vineyard and planted around the same time).

94 Points! The 2021 Petite Sirah checks in as 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Syrah, aged the normal 22 months in 60% new 300-liter barrels. It's a gorgeous expression of the variety with loads of jammy blue fruits, flowery incense, spice, and underbrush notes as well as a full-bodied, deep, richly textured, layered style on the palate. I’d be thrilled to drink a bottle any time over the coming decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! The 2021 Trespasser is more focused and inward, with darker fruits, graphite, candied violets, and chocolaty, subtle leafy herb-like nuances. It's a rich, full-bodied, concentrated red based on 38% Petite Sirah, 37% Syrah, and 25% Mourvèdre that spent 22 months in 50% new 300- and 400-liter puncheons. It will shine for 5-7 years, if not a decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Viking Estate Vineyard was aged for 20 months in 50% new French oak. Medium ruby, it has a core of blackcurrant and Morello cherry with touches of bell pepper, thyme, cedar, dark chocolate and graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, grainy tannins, rounded acidity and a concentrated core of pleasantly herbal fruit. Drink it over the next 3-5 years. 810 cases were produced, and this will be released in the summer of 2023. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

92 Points! Rich, gutsy and structured, with a firm mix of earthy tannins, road tar, dried dark berry, sage and cedar, showing strong character. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah. - Wine Spectator

96 Points! 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. Offering plenty of chalky minerality, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish, this brilliant Syrah will keep for at least a decade. The wine is 100% Syrah that was mostly destemmed (28% whole clusters) and spent 19 months in 82% new French oak. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! Deep, shimmering purple. 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. Aged in French oak barrels and puncheons, 82% of them new. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

93 Points! The 2023 Fiano is totally captivating, wafting up with vivid sliced apricot complicated by a hint of sour melon and crushed stones. It splashes across the palate, displaying pretty inner sweetness and silken textures, with a peach preserves character that I find wildly attractive. Brisk acidity maintains balance as tropical citrus tones and a nuance of mango linger. Despite this nearly decadent description, the 2023 is incredibly fresh and goes down far too easily. - Eric Guido, Vinous

93 Points! Always a highlight of the Giornata range, the 2023 Fiano opens with an expressive bouquet of dried flowers, beeswax, citrus peels and cleansing, herbal flourishes. The palate combines a sappy, broad texture with a gently elastic core, culminating in a taut, poised and layered finish that lingers with remarkable length. A lovely combination of perfumed, lively and powerful, this should be a pleasure to follow through the better part of a decade. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

42% petit verdot, 26% cabernet sauvignon ,14% sangiovese, 8% petite sirah, 6% tempranillo, 4% touriga all from Paso Rbles exceot the Sangio. hand-harvested, native yeast fermented, aged 20 months in neutral barriques, bottles unfined and unfiltered.

97 Points! The 2020 Côte a Côte is a beautiful blend of 45% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 25% Mourvèdre and one of the most successful wines I tasted from the challenging 2020 vintage. Deep ruby-purple, it offers pure aromas of blackcurrant, boysenberry, tar and pipe tobacco, continually unfolding with each return to the glass. The full-bodied palate offers wave after wave of perfumed fruit and tremendous spicy accents. It's powerful yet harmoniously structured with powdery tannins and seamless acidity, and it offers a very long, detailed finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

99 Points! A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

99 Points! A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvée is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure in the challenging 2020 vintage, offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

97 Points! Starting with the 2021 Grenache Estate Blend, this blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 11% Cinsault, and 4% Roussanne comes all from the Adams Ranch Vineyard and was aged 20 months in new and used mostly French oak. It has a deeper ruby/plum hue as well as a beautiful nose of ripe black raspberries, darker cherries, spicy herbs, sandalwood, and ground pepper. It's complex, medium to full-bodied, has a broad, layered, seamless mouthfeel, and an incredible finish. It's a brilliant Grenache that has so much to love. It will evolve like a great Châteauneuf du Pape and have 15 years or more of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! The 2020 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard is pure gold and one hell of an impressive Syrah that readers should snatch up. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of blue fruits, cassis, ground pepper, violets, and smoked game, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, opulent mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. Coming from 100% destemmed Syrah that spent 19 months in 80% new French oak, it's going to blow you away any time over the coming decade, if not longer. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! The 2020 Zinfandel Sheep Camp lifts up more like a spiced herbal tea than wine, with rose buds, cedar shavings, rosemary and dried strawberries forming its bouquet. This is soft textured with chalky minerals and crisp red fruits that give way to dusty tannins. The acidity wins the day, adding a vibrancy yet also spiciness that tugs at the cheeks as the 2020 finishes with admirable length and full of tension. - Eric Guido, Vinous

95 Points! Bloody black and blue fruits, iron, leafy herbs, toasted spices, and dried tobacco all shine in the 2019 Heliotrope, a rocking blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Mourvèdre, and a little Cabernet Franc. It's beautifully balanced, has a ripe, lush mouthfeel, beautiful, velvety tannins, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

From the winery:

In the 2022 Mountain Zinfandel, our Willow Creek District estate vineyards set the tone with beautiful structure and varietal purity. Grapes from other areas including the Adelaida District and Templeton Gap District bring a layer of ripe, jammy and spicy Zinfandel character. The result is a wine that captures the iconic expression of Paso Robles Zinfandel.