Villa Creek High Road

Villa Creek High Road A 400-case blend of 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 25% Mourvedre, the 2012 High Road James Berry Vineyard has a seamless, pure and elegant character to go with rock-solid ripeness. Showing plum, cassis, violet, licorice and crushed rock-like nuances on the nose, it is full-bodied, fresh and supple, yet has a serious spine of tannin that comes through on the finish. I love the purity here, but it needs another year or two in the cellar, and will have just under a decade of longevity. Winemaker Cris Cherry continues to push the whole cluster and savory style in his wines, while not losing the core of fruit that the region is known for.