Red Wine from Central Coast

Wine Enthusiast, 96 points: Extremely dense in the glass, this epic bottling offers lavish and penetrating aromas of black currant and elderberry jam on the nose alongside seared beef, chocolate cake and a pinch of violet. Expertly balanced...

jebdunnuck.com, 96 points: The 2017 My Favorite Neighbor is also terrific and I suspect would cost 2-3 times its going rate if it was from Napa Valley. It's also the more elegant, perfumed, red-fruited release compared to the darker fruited Harvey...

jebdunnuck.com, 99 points: I loved the 2017 Vertigo from barrel, and it didn’t disappoint from bottle. A blend of 63% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, and the rest Grenache and Petite Sirah, brought up in 65% new French oak, this full-bodied, massively...

Vinous, 98 points: One of the highlights in this tasting, the 2016 Monte Bello has turned out just as beautifully as I hoped it would. Soaring aromatics, bright acids and mid-weight structure give the 2016 a super-classic feel. Clearly, the...

jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: (93-95 points) Starting with the 2016-barrel samples, the 2016 Optimus is the entry level cuvee of the estate and is always based on Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. I suspect it’s better than most estate top...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: (93+) Composed of 54% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2014 Fenix has a medium garnet-purple color and nose of crushed black plums, blackberry compote and mulberries with hints...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: Even better, with another notch on the richness scale, the 2011 Authenticity boasts fabulous aromatics of creme de cassis, black raspberry, toasted bread, licorice and crushed flowers to go with a full-bodied, decadent...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Showing better from bottle than barrel, the 2013 Seventeen Forty Reserve is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, all of which saw 20 months in 70% new French oak. It's an elegant, seamless wine that has top tier purity...

jebdunnuck.com, 98 points: The flagship 2017 Estate Cuvée (49% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 21% Petit Verdot) spent 15 months in 90% new French oak, and I certainly blew the barrel review on this wine. It offers a brilliant bouquet of crème...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: Bottled mid-March 2017 and a blend of 60% Syrah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Optimus has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of crushed black currants, black cherries and black raspberries with...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: Another sensational red is the 2013 Veracity Proprietary Red, which is mostly Grenache blended with 34% Mourvedre and 17% Syrah. Aged in 32% new barrels, its ruby color is followed by classic notes of black raspberries...

Wine Enthusiast, 95 points: Viscous and dark in the glass, this wine's unctuous nose shows black currant, violet and a hint of hot asphalt. The blend of 50% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre and 7% Petite Sirah is tight on the palate, where a tarry...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points: Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Block B Syrah is youthfully mute with notes of black forest cake, underbrush, toasted nuts and salted beef over a core of warm blackberries and preserved plums, plus wafts of Provence...

jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: The GSM blend of the estate the checks in as 66% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre and 16% Syrah (more Grenache than normal), the 2014 Veracity offers a classic Paso nose of sexy, ripe black fruits, melted licorice, charcoal and...

Vinous, 96 points: The 2015 El Desafio de Jonata, the estate's Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend, is dense, powerful and super-expressive, with tremendous textural richness and thrust. Still very, very young, the 2015 is going to need at least...