We’re thrilled to share fantastic new scores for Broadside from Vinous! In a roundup of Paso Robles wines from the 2017 & 2018 vintage, wine critic Josh Raynolds reviewed and scored five of our current Broadside releases with 90 points or higher – including a score of 90 points for our Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon!
We’re proud of our winemaking team for their exceptional work on these wines!
varietal: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot
appellation: Paso Robles (San Juan Creek, Santa Margarita Ranch)
vintage: 2018
alcohol: 13.5%
ta:0.58 g/100ml
ph:3.65
Winemaker Notes: It can be argued that 2018 was the best quality year Paso Robles has ever experienced. The extra month of hang time (on average) allowed for some serious color and flavor development. This wine drinks great now but will only improve over the coming years.
Maturation: A mix of 25% new French and American oak. Balance in one- and two-year oak barrels.
Tasting Notes: Pronounced aromas of blackberry, plum, cedar, and sexy toasted oak. A mélange of black fruits on the palate wrapped in a cherry pie filling core. Melting tannins leave the impression of bittersweet chocolate in the back of the mouth. There’s a solid seam of acidity that suspends the flavors well into the finish.
Acclaim: 90 Points from Vinous
varietal: 89% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon
appellation: Paso Robles (Santa Margarita Ranch)
vintage: 2019
alcohol: 14.5%
ta:5.1 g/L
ph:3.8
Winemaker Notes: 2019 was a terribly small harvest. The massive bounty from the previous year took a toll on the vines and consequently less fruit was produced. Higher acids and bright flavors are the predominant characteristics of this vintage.
Maturation: 15 months in 14% New French barrels, balance in neutral French barrels.
Tasting Notes: Color of a fresh, young Bordeaux. The nose is particularly complex with aromas of cocoa dust, cedar, tobacco, ripe boysenberry, and freshly cut herbs. Flavors are black cherry cola, rhubarb pie filling, with a little black pepper. The tannins are soft and supple as you’d expect with a cool-climate Merlot. Serious acidity keeps the flavors elevated for what seems like forever.
varietal: 56% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec
appellation: Santa Margarita Ranch
vintage: 2018
alcohol: 14.5%
ta:4.9 g/L
ph:4.06
Winemaker Notes: This wine typically is a Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy, Bordeaux varietals blend. However, the Merlot from Margarita Vineyard was so intense and tannic that we just couldn’t resist the urge to make this a Merlot-heavy blend with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec components used to soften the edges. This is a really well-structured wine that should improve with age for a very long time.
Maturation: 15 months neutral French oak barrels
Tasting Notes: An expressive nose of dark cherry, plum and cranberry notes that carry through on the palate along with herbal hints and a touch of sweet baking-spice. This is a juicy, rich, well-structured red blend, with flavors framed by grippy tannins and balanced acidity. A wine easily enjoyed today but with strong aging potential for years ahead.
Acclaim: 89 Points from Wine Enthusiast
varietal: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot
appellation: Paso Robles
vintage: 2018
alcohol: 15%
ta:0.55 g/100ml
ph:3.75
Vineyard Details: Our vineyards have decades-old vines planted in calcium rich and high pH soils whose dramatic complexity are derived from epochs of continental plate activity that contribute to the end- result of low-yielding, perfectly balanced fruit. Sixty- eight percent of this year’s fruit comes from block 48 and 49 in the hills at Santa Margarita Ranch and thirty-two percent comes from the Paso Robles Willow Creek District.
Winemaker Notes: Exceptionally complex nose with layers of leather, spice, black currant, nutmeg, and blackberry. Rich flavors of plum, black cherry, black olive, and Oolong tea. Dense and deep, this wine will continue to open up for hours, revealing complex aromas and flavors for those patient enough to decant. A serious wine that will evolve as the night goes on.
Maturation: The Margarita Vineyard and the Willow Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, along with the Petit Verdot, were kept in separate barrel lots for eighteen months, at which point the wines were racked out of barrel, blended, and put back to barrel for another six months to “marry”. We utilized around forty percent brand new French oak barrels comprised primarily of Nevers oak along with some Vosges/ Tronçais blends. The barrels were three-year air dried with medium-plus toast along with untoasted heads for mouthfeel.
varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon (87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 5% Malbec)
appellation: Paso Robles (Santa Margarita Ranch)
vintage: 2019
alcohol: 14.5%
ta:0.51 g/100ml
ph:4.02
Winemaker Notes: Margarita Vineyard is always one of the last vineyards to be harvested for us because of the much cooler average temperatures and morning fog that delays photosynthesis. The grapes for this particular vintage all were harvested over a two week period starting in the second week of November. Berries were all crushed, fermented in stainless steel tanks, and aged in a combination of one year old and neutral oak for a period of 16 months. Blending took place a week prior to bottling.
Maturation: 16 months in a combination of one-year old and neutral French oak barrels.
Tasting Notes: Compelling aromas of blackberry and dark cherry are framed by hints of cassis and cedar. At first sip, flavors of blackcurrant and plum shine through, leading to notes of vanilla bean and a subtle smokiness. The fine-grained tannins are supported by a balanced acidity that carries over through a lingering, flavorful finish.
varietal: Chardonnay
appellation: Central Coast (52% Paso Robles ( Truesdale Vineyard Block 1) 48% Edna Valley)
vintage: 2019
alcohol: 14.5%
ta:0.59 g/100ml
ph:3.46
Winemaker Notes: Our Truesdale grapes were picked late September, and fermented in a combination of barrels and tanks. The wines were allowed to undergo complete malolactic fermentation and aged sur lies to add a degree of richness to the wine. The Edna Valley component underwent fermentation and aging in all stainless stell tank sur lies but with no malolactic fermentation to retain bright fruit aromas and crisp acidity. Wine was blended between the different lots 6 months prior to bottling.
Tasting Note: Fresh lemon, nectarine and a hint of vanilla bean create an enticing, aromatic nose. On the palate, flavors of yellow apple and pear, with a dash of orange zest, are backed by a subtle toasty quality. The rich, creamy mouthfeel and well- integrated acidity bring the flavors through to a long, smooth finish.
