- WINERY Donati Family Vineyard
- GRAPE Cabernet Sauvignon
- YEAR 2006
- COUNTRY United States
- REGION Paicines
California's Central Coast has 26 winegrowing areas; this bottle comes from Paicines, an under-the-radar but very promising subregion.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Ron Donati and his son Matt are on a mission to make a red-wine reputation for Paicines, possibly the most obscure subregion of California’s vast Central Coast. Paicines is part of the larger San Benito wine region, which sits in the middle of a giant gap in the coastal mountain range south of San Francisco. Chilly ocean air gets sucked in through the gap, leaving much of San Benito too cool to grow heat-loving red varieties like Cabernet. But Paicines is located at the warmer, inland edge of the region, and based on this polished, Bordeaux-style blend, it’s clear that the Donatis are on to something.
SMELL IT
Sweet, ripe blackberry scents and a hint of vanilla.
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TASTE IT
Layered and lush but not heavy, with mouth-filling black cherry and allspice flavors.
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SERVE IT
Cellar temperature—the bottle should be cool to the touch.
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