Vice-President of Winemaking Jordan Fiorentini after earning her degree in engineering at Dartmouth, pursued a master’s degree in Enology at UC Davis. After serving as associate winemaker for Chalk Hill Winery in Sonoma, she came onboard at Epoch Estate in 2010. She has an energetic style and has her pulse on crafting stylish Rhone varietals from Paso Robles.

This is an exotic blend of 36% Syrah, 21% Grenache, 17%, Mourvèdre, 14% Tempranillo, 8% Zinfandel and 4% Carignan grown in limestone and shale soils. The nearly opaque black color reveals aromas of saddle leather and violets. Definitely new world in style, there are savory notes of boysenberry, baked blackberry and black licorice with subtle hints of charcoal. It is all packaged nicely together with some fresh minerality on the finish.

By W Peter Hoyne