Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1011938
104 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 Ranch in the Adelaida District, one of 11 new sub-appellations that joined the greater Paso Robles American Viticultural Area in 2014. The modern Paso-style wine dazzles the palate with lush, fruit-driven flavors of wild berries and dark cherry coupled with layers of espresso, black pep - per, and spice with tangy acidity. Winemaker Robert Henson, who joined the team in 2015, previously worked in hospitality and trained as a chef before learning how to craft distinguished wines from Michael Michaud at the Central Coast's Chalone Vineyards. He handles the limited-release Zinfandel with similar techniques he used while working with Pinot Noir grapes; in each case, his goal is to showcase distinctive flavors that reflect the grapes' place of origin. "It's about walking a thin line between flavor, intensity, and balance," Henson said as he poured the new lineup of 2016 Zin - fandel during the campers' visit to Mustang Springs Ranch. "If you want to progress, it's about finding consistency and capturing the nuances of the flavor profiles as the vines mature." Another shining example of a limited- production wine released in 400 cases or less is the 2016 Mustang Springs Ranch Zinfandel, which features deep notes of cherry, rhubarb, dark plum, allspice, and blood orange peel. For a spicier option from the same vineyard, we tried the new 2016 Especial Zinfandel. Made with fruit from a single block of the Dusi clone, it's aged entirely in 30% new American oak and exudes sexy aromas and robust flavors of ripe red fruits, plum, raspberry, vanilla, licorice, and savory spice. Also from the Adelaida District is the 2016 Mustard Creek Zinfandel, an intriguing wine made with fruit grown on Josh Beck - ett's property and aged in equal parts French and Hungarian oak barrels. The end result is a dynamic wine with lively notes of dark cherry, licorice, menthol, black tea, pepper, and pumpkin spice with a long, tangy finish. Josh, who recently sold the Chronic Cellars brand he star ted with his brother Jake in 2004, says the new appellations have allowed more flexibility for the Peachy Canyon team. This is par ticularly true with the 2016 Willow Zinfandel, which features commanding notes of dried rose petals, fresh-baked blueber - ry tar t, red cherry, raspberry, orange peel, cocoa, clove, cinnamon, and cardamom with a hint of chalkiness. Although the wine is made with fruit from the Kiler Grove and Pelletiere vineyards in the Willow Creek District, Josh says labeling it with the more general "Willow" moniker enables Henson and the team to choose "from different sites in the Willow Creek District instead of relying on eggs from just one basket." "There have been times when we've done vineyard- designates that have received great ac - claim, then someone new comes to town and they pay an exorbitant amount for the grapes and we lose the vineyard," Josh says. "For those reasons, we are not doing so many designates if we don't own the property, but instead putting more empha - sis on the sub-AVAs we work with." Another great example of this style is Vortex, a fanciful name for a blend that usually contains components of at least four single vineyards. The 2016 vintage sourced fruit from the family's Mustang Springs Ranch, as well as smaller amounts from the Kiler Grove, Hastings, and KelNik vineyards; in this showcase spanning sever - al sub-AVAs, the fruit displays that desired varietal character with notes of allspice, clove, ripe plum, black cherry, blueberry, and white pepper with spicy fruit notes on the long, lingering finish. The 30th Anniversary Zinfandel from Peachy Canyon sources fruit from 35 acres of hillside vines dry-farmed and head-trained on the winery's estate Mustang Springs site in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles. Some Grenache and Syrah are added in. Josh and Jake Beckett, who represent the next generation at Peachy Canyon Winery, look forward to carrying the legacy of their family's business into the future.