The Farm Winery: Superb 2011 Releases from Paso Robles

Once again, The Farm Winery in Paso Robles is offering three magnificent new releases of handcrafted wines that have been winners since we first tasted them. The trilogy consists of Touchy-Feely, a Grenache-Syrah-based blend, The Big Game, a Bordeaux/Rhone blend, and LPF, a single vineyard hillside, 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon from old vines. The three wines are reviewed below.

Stylistically The Farm Winery’s wines are big flavored and refined, ripe and mouth filling. They reveal purity of fruit, excellent acidity and balance, and firm tannins. Over the past three years they have retained a consistent style that exhibits the richness and purity of Paso Robles wines.

Located in the Westside hills of Paso Robles, The Farm Winery is owned and operated by old friends and Stanford Business School alumni Jim Madsen and his wife Azmina, and renowned Argentine winemaker Santiago Achaval and wife Mercedes. Santiago Achaval is known through out the world for crafting some of the very finest Malbecs in Argentina today.

As we noted in our Report 33: The Wines of Paso Robles, “Paso Robles is on the cusp of the national and world recognition that will solidify its status among the premier wine growing regions of the country.” Indeed, as we predicted years ago, all the elements are in place at The Farm Winery for great success.

Tasting Notes and Ratings

The Farm Winery 2011 Touchy-Feely Paso Robles ($60) 91 The 2011 Touchy-Feely is a blend of 81{45b0463633054486b24ea7f1d8a3d5c23c88cedad61f649c1174e653e8a53946} Grenache and 19{45b0463633054486b24ea7f1d8a3d5c23c88cedad61f649c1174e653e8a53946} Syrah. It is a full-bodied flavorful wine offering pure dark red fruit flavors. While high in alcohol (14.9{45b0463633054486b24ea7f1d8a3d5c23c88cedad61f649c1174e653e8a53946}) and aged 27 months in new and used oak, it is beautifully balanced and lush in the mouth with soft round tannins and persistence on the finish. Only 290 cases made.

The Farm Winery 2011 The Big Game Paso Robles ($75) 93+ The 2011 Big Game is a delicious blend of 46{45b0463633054486b24ea7f1d8a3d5c23c88cedad61f649c1174e653e8a53946} Cabernet Sauvignon, 37{45b0463633054486b24ea7f1d8a3d5c23c88cedad61f649c1174e653e8a53946} Syrah and 17{45b0463633054486b24ea7f1d8a3d5c23c88cedad61f649c1174e653e8a53946} Petit Verdot. It offers ripe and concentrated blackberry and cassis fruit with a rich and luscious mouth feel. Aged 27 months in new and used oak, it is perfectly balanced with beautifully integrated sweet oak, soft round tannins and a long finish. The grapes are sourced from two outstanding vineyards: the Terra Bella at 1800 ft, one of the highest Westside Paso Syrah Vineyards, planted in 2001, and the Adelaida Springs Ranch, the highest of Westside Cabernet vineyards, planted in 2002. Only 265 cases made.

The Farm Winery 2011 LPF Paso Robles ($60) 92 The 2011 LPF is 100{45b0463633054486b24ea7f1d8a3d5c23c88cedad61f649c1174e653e8a53946} Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Old Bailey, one of Paso Robles ‘ oldest Cabernet vineyards planted in 1964. With yields of .6 tons/acre, this vineyard produces highly concentrated earthy grapes of black currant and cassis. With 27 months in oak, concentrated earthy flavors, and firm round tannins, this Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent offering that should be enjoyed over the next ten years or longer. Only 135 cases made.

Mike Potashnik and Don Winkler

January 2015