2014 Creativity
Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
100% Mourvèdre | Clone 369
Fermented in concrete tank
Aged ~18 months: 70% in new French oak barrels, 30% in puncheons
Released Spring 2017
157 Cases Produced
Jeb Dunnuck | 97
The cuvée that allows winemaker Jordan Fiorentini to be creative in every vintage, the 2014 Creativity is 100% Mourvèdre, all from the estate Paderewski Vineyard, that was brought up in 70% new French oak puncheons. It’s a backward, tight, reserved beauty that offers lots of black and blue fruits, crushed rock, meat, chocolate and floral aromas and flavors, and is reminiscent of a Bandol on steroids. Deep, rich, and incredibly textured on the palate, with ample building tannin, it’s tour de force in Paso Robles reds that I wish I could pour for every reader. Give bottles another year or two, and It should cruise for at least a decade. – August 2017 (Jeb Dunnuck)
Vinous | 94
(aged in new French oak for 19 months) Lurid purple. Intensely perfumed black and blue fruit, floral oil, mocha and incense aromas are sharpened by a smoky mineral nuance. Juicy and deeply concentrated on the palate, offering sappy, alluringly sweet blueberry and cherry-vanilla flavors that slowly open up and become spicier with air. Finishes smoky, supple and very long, displaying lingering florality and harmonious tannins. Petite Sirah is a notoriously tough variety to tame, much less polish, but this wine is an exception to that rule. – (Josh Raynolds)
Wine Advocate | 94
Produced from 100% Mourvèdre, the 2014 Creativity has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of warm blackberries, crème de cassis and preserved plums with an earthy undercurrent and hints of sautéed herbs and black olives. Full-bodied and firmly framed by chewy tannins, the earthy/savory flavors are lifted by lovely freshness and it finishes with a lively herbal lift. 157 cases were made. – September 17 (Lisa Perotti-Brown)