October 2006 Wine Tasting Notes:
2002 Rio Seco Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles.
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Smoky garnet color crossing into cordovan. Good clarity. A bit shy at first, this wine opens with aeration. The nose offers a rich interplay of black currant and cherry, roasted coffee notes and a hint of smoke. An initial note of dill is very transient. The palate is composed of cherry, currant and plum flavors. The lasting finish keeps reverberating cherry and plum notes. Bold but appropriate tannins and appropriate acidity give this wine plenty of dimension. |
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RWB Score: 91 breakdown 13.9% Alcohol $25.00 Retail (from winery); 285 cases produced. |
Elegant and focused with a bit more more expression of fruit than the Cabernet Franc of the same vintage. Like its sibling, this wine offers grace and balance. It is mature, bright, well rounded and displays an excellent purity of fruit. A smooth, lower medium bodied red with classical, rustic styling that stirs nostalgia. This is your wine if you enjoy measured but expressive, old-world styled wines. Recommended as an instructive wine to those brought up on young California Cabs. |
More Rio Seco reviews
Detail
100% estate grown Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1997. Picked at 24.5 - 26 brix and aged 24 months in 35% new French Oak barrels.
337 is a dominant Cabernet Sauvignon clone in California viticulture although most Paso Robles growers have planted clones 6,7 and 8. Originating in Bordeaux (where it belongs to the highest rated group of clones), it gives moderate yields of small berries. The resulting wines are dense and complex with notes of black olive and cassis.
The 2002 year was characterized by a long and dry growing season with mild temperatures that gave the fruit extended time to develop complexity and depth. In addition, minimal heat peaks allowed the grapes to develop high acid levels. Paso Robles wines grapes were expected to produce excellent, concentrated and balanced wines from this vintage - which is reflected in the two Rio Seco Cabernets reviewed this month.
Rio Seco Vineyards was acquired in 1996 by San Luis Obispo locals Tom and Carol Hinkle. 31 acres of the 63 acre estate are planted to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Roussanne, Viognier and Zinfandel. They tend to harvest their grapes at slightly lower sugar levels and utilize natural fermentation (letting the native yeasts on the grapes ferment the juice rather than adding cultured yeasts) and give the wine 9-12 months in bottle before release. The wines from their nine year old winery have been producing measured, well balanced wines since the 2001 vintage.
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5 points |
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Nose |
4 points |
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Palate |
3 points |
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Finish |
4 points |
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Tannins |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
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Overall quality |
9 points |
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