Vertigo 2007

A range of varietal wines is complemented by a few blends, and the Vertigo is a very fine blend of approximately 70 percent Grenache, 15-18 percent Mourvèdre and 13-15 percent Syrah. The wine has spent 18-19 months in French oak barrels, of which 40 percent were new. This is a quite rich and intense wine, reminiscent of those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but with a more lively acidity.
It’s dark cherry red, high intensity. On the nose, it offers a range of dark barriers, but more of an earthiness that’s quite attractive and that adds complexity, and there are no traces of oak at all. Poured blind, it could easily been taken for being a blend from south of France, which is not so uncommon for fine red blends of Paso Robles. At Ed Sellers and some of his colleagues, this is even more common. On the palate, it offers a medium to full body without being overly ripe, rather intense and fruit driven, relatively high in alcohol (15 percent) but by no means out of balance, and with a fine tannic structure to hold everything together. In the finish, there’s a slight bitterness that will soften with one or two more years of bottle age, but already today you’ll find a very attractive fruitiness. Again, France would be a great guess if poured blind. Serve it at 18-20 degrees in large glasses.