March 5, 2020
Brooding nose of dark chocolate, roasted tarragon & thyme, black olives and roast coffee beans. Big yet light-footed, to the credit of the limestone/granite based “Enz Vineyard” and obsessive vineyard monitoring by Dirty & Rowdy co-owner/winemaker Hardy Wallace, the wine is a joy to drink now and will get much better with time. How much time? Depends how you like killer California old-vine Mourvedre wines. I suggest short term, like 2023. If you drink it now, decant it 2 hours before drinking or enjoy it over 3 or 4 days and notice it blossoming. It’s rare to find a wine […]
July 12, 2019
Extremely crisp, high acid sparkling wine from this very small San Luis Obispo producer focusing on earth-driven wines. Pinot Noir’s rose petal and raspberry aromas tip-toe in. Tangy citrus, yellow cherry and plum flavors shine in the mouth along with smidge of jasmine or honeysuckle. There’s a suggestion of rocky earthiness on the finish if you’re looking for it. Very dry, very crisp…dryness not designated but stylistically I’d call it an Extra Brut. A unique, cool wine.
December 7, 2018
I like this Riesling’s lemon-apple-honey character and classic Riesling lick-a-river-rock personality. High, pleasing acidity stands straight and tall from first whiff to the end of its 20 second finish. Lemon zest, yellow grapefruit and citrus blossoms smells and flavor pop out. More of an oily texture than most dry Rieslings made in California (partly due, I imagine, from the 50+ year old, own-rooted vines planted in decomposed granite and limestone). A great bottle of wine for $22. Here are all the Bedrock Wine Co. wines I’ve reviewed.
October 5, 2017
New(er) on the wine scene, Flywheel makes tiny amounts (under 100 cases per wine is normal) of high character wines. This delicious Pinot brings together black and deep red cherries, allspice, pomegranate syrup, red roses, black tea and cola smells and flavors. More tannic than one might expect, it has the ripe fruit to balance the grip.
September 25, 2017
Estate Vineyard, 4 1/2 miles from the Pacific, between Paso Robles and Santa Barbara counties. High natural acidity in the ripe grapes balances the full malolactic and careful use of French oak. Get citrus basket, caramel, toasted brioche, fresh pineapple & Macintosh apple. I was surprised it was full malolactic, which speaks well to its style. Excellent “food Chardonnay” as it’s full-flavored but not “too much” in any way.