Epoch Veracity Red Blend 2017
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Blend: 47% Mourvèdre, 34% Grenache, 19% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Based on 47% Mourvèdre, 34% Grenache, and 19% Syrah, the 2017 Veracity is beautifully done, revealing a core of blue fruits, plenty of peppery herbs, violets, spice, and floral notes, medium to full body, and a great finish. It's one of those wines that grows on you with time in the glass, and I suspect it will be even better with another 2-3 years of bottle age (although it's terrific today).
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Wine Enthusiast
Quite dark in the glass, this blend of 47% Mourvèdre, 34% Grenache and 19% Syrah offers seared plum, purple flower and richly layered spice aromas on the nose. The palate is a lesson in cohesion, with well-integrated waves of boysenberry, black cherry, purple flowers and licorice, framed by polished tannins and fresh acidity.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Veracity is a blend of 47% Mourvèdre, 34% Grenache and 19% Syrah aged 18 months in 26% new French oak. It has a medium to deep ruby-purple color and is youthfully reluctant on the nose. With time, it reveals aromas of blackcurrant, milk chocolate, fresh blueberries, redcurrants, blood orange and desiccated roses with notes of pink peppercorn and salumi. The palate is medium to full-bodied, silky and gaining in amplitude, opening to red, blue and black fruits with oodles of floral perfume. It has a firm, grainy frame and mind-bending juiciness to lift the long, layered finish.
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Wine Spectator
Densely structured but expressive, with black currant and cherry flavors that are laced with grilled garrigue, cured meat and licorice, building toward broad-shouldered tannins. Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah. Best from 2022 through 2029.
Other Vintages
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Robert
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Robert -
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Founded in 2004 by geologists, Bill and Liz Armstrong, Epoch has quickly developed a big reputation for handcrafted, small-production wines with abundant personalities. Under the careful care of Winemaker, Jordan Fiorentini, Epoch is committed to producing world-class wines from Rhône, Zinfandel, and Tempranillo varieties grown on their three west Paso Robles vineyards – Paderewski, Catapult, and York Mountain. Epoch’s Tasting Room and Winery are located on the storied York Mountain which was once home to the first bonded winery on the central coast. Preserving the rich history found on this property as well as Paderewski Vineyard, a sight once owned and cherished by the late Polish Prime Minister and pianist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Epoch strives to carry on these legacies through their wines and the unique Epoch experience.
Through carefully managed, non-invasive farming, Epoch aims to bring the complex character of their vineyards into each bottle of wine they craft. All of Epoch's fruit comes from their three specific and unique sites: Paderewski, Catapult, and York Mountain Vineyards.
PADEREWSKI VINEYARD: Travel just west of Paso Robles, and you will find Paderewski Vineyard: 67 acres of undulating, steep, limestone rich hillsides within 570 rural, spring-fed acres.
CATAPULT VINEYARD: Directly in the heart of the Paso Robles’ Templeton Gap, near the acclaimed L’Aventure and Booker Vineyards, sits Catapult Vineyard.
YORK MOUNTAIN: Located just seven miles from the Pacific Ocean at an elevation of 1,500 feet, this property falls in the small 640 acre York Mountain AVA, which is outside of the very large Paso Robles AVA.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.