2016 Sensibility

Paderewski and Catapult Vineyards, Paso Robles

Jeb Dunnuck  | 94-97
The Grenache dominated 2016 Sensibility is a rockstar in the making. It offers loads of kirsch and blackberry fruits intermixed with notions of herbes de Provence, dried violets, and spice. This seamless, full-bodied effort has awesome purity, as well as elegance, while still packing some serious intensity. – November 2018

Wine Advocate | 93-95+ Barrel Sample
A Grenache-based blend, the 2016 Sensibility is very promising, wafting from the glass with a sweet bouquet of black fruits, licorice and raspberries. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, rich and layered, with a sappy core of juicy, youthfully primary fruit. I’m looking forward to seeing it in bottle. – May 2018 (William Kelley)

2015 Sensibility

Paderewski and Catapult Vineyards, Paso Robles
96% Grenache, Alban 1 and 362 clones, 4% Syrah
Fermented in concrete and stainless steel tanks
Aged for 18 months: 14% in concrete egg and the balance in French oak puncheons
Released Spring 2018 | unfined and unfiltered

Wine Advocate | 96
Made from 96% Grenache and 4% Syrah, co-fermented, aged 14% in concrete egg and the rest in French puncheons, the 2015 Sensibility has a gorgeous nose of roses, star anise and dark chocolate over a core of black cherries, mulberries and blueberry compote. Medium to full-bodied, rich, velvety and seductive in the mouth, it has seamless freshness and a long, perfumed finish. 534 cases were made. Drink 2017 – 2030. – September 2017 (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Vinous | 96
(raised for 18 months in large neutral French oak casks and concrete eggs) Bright violet. Heady red fruit liqueur, incense, Asian spice and licorice scents are complemented by smoky mineral and floral notes. Sappy, sweet and seamless in the mouth, offering wonderfully concentrated yet energetic Chambord, floral pastille and spicecake flavors and a deeper suggestion of dark chocolate. Displays outstanding clarity and potent red fruit thrust on the endless finish, which is framed by smooth tannins and sharpened by a snap of juicy acidity. Drink 2024 -2033. September 2018 (Josh Raynolds)

Jeb Dunnuck | 95
Moving to the reds, the 2015 Sensibility is 96% Grenache and 4% Syrah that was aged 18 months in mostly neutral French oak puncheons, with 14% in concrete eggs. This medium ruby colored effort offers terrific notes of kirsch, blackberries, dried herbs, and earth, and it reminds me a top Chateauneuf du Pape from more sandy soils (Marcoux?). With medium to full body, a silky, rounded, elegant texture, and a great finish, it’s a beautiful Grenache from these limestone hills. After 2018; November 2018

Wine Enthusiast | 93 & Cellar Selection
It’s rare for a Grenache to be deemed cellar worthy, but this beauty, which is strategically bolstered by 4% Syrah, packs the right mix of tannin, alcohol and acidity to do the trick. Baked red cherries, clove and gingerbread show on the nose, while the sip grips the palate with chalky tannins, showing flavors of plum, cranberry, orange rind and baking spice. Drink now through 2028. – April 2019 (Matt Kettmann)

2014 Sensibility

Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
100% Grenache, Alban 1 and 362 clones
Fermented in concrete tank
Aged ~18 months: 100% in concrete tulip
Released Fall 2017 | unfined and unfiltered

Jeb Dunnuck | 97
I loved the 2014 Sensibility (100% Grenache from the estate Paderewski Vineyard brought up all in concrete tanks), and this is up with some of the best Grenaches I’ve tasted from California. Kirsch, blackberries, spice, dried flowers and incense notes all emerge from this sexy, thrillingly textured 2014 that shows the forward, sexy style of the vintage. It reminds me a great vintage of Julien Barrot’s Domaine la Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Pure. – August 2017 (Jeb Dunnuck)

Wine Advocate | 95+
Produced from 100% Grenache and aged in concrete, the 2014 Sensibility has a medium to deep garnet color and expressive nose of crushed red and black cherries, black raspberries and roses with hints of Chinese five spice, black pepper and tapenade. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and oh-so-spicy, the palate has a firm yet velvety texture, with great freshness and a very long finish. 242 cases produced. September 2017 (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Vinous | 94
Saturated ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet displays scents of ripe red and blue fruits, incense and smoky minerals, along with a spicecake nuance that builds in the glass. Juicy, alluringly sweet raspberry liqueur and floral pastille flavors become fleshier and deeper with air while maintaining a refreshingly nervy quality. Seamless and pure, finishing with excellent persistence and harmonious tannins that come in slowly. – November 2017 (Josh Raynolds)

Wine Enthusiast | 94
Elegance, depth and power rise to the stage in this bottling by Jordan Fiorentini, who packs in aromas of concentrated red cherry, turned loam, bay leaf and packed rose petals. The mouthfeel is lavish at first, and then the tannins firm up, delivering flavors of cherry compote, orange rind and rosebuds. Zesty acidity runs throughout. – May 2018 (Matt Kettmann)

International Wine Report | 93
The 2014 ‘Sensibility’ is sourced from the Paderewski Vineyard in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. This wine was aged in a combination of concrete eggs and oak for 18 months prior to bottling. It begins with aromas of red cherry reductions, rose petals and coffee grounds. The rich palate delivers a lovely combination of dark and red fruit flavors with a touch of chocolate and baking spices. While this is already extremely appealing, it should cellar well for a decade or more. (Best 2017-2027) – December 2017 (OB)

Wine Spectator | 91
Plump and ripe, but well-built, with expressive dark raspberry, smoky sage and licorice flavors that persist toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2023. 242 cases made. – April 2018 (Tim Fish)

2013 Sensibility

Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
100% Grenache, Alban 1 and 362 clones
Fermented in concrete tank
Aged for 15 months in neutral French oak puncheons
Released Fall 2015 | unfined and unfiltered

Vinous | 93
Brilliant violet color. Sexy smoke- and spice-accented aromas of ripe red berries and incense, with a mineral topnote. Juicy, penetrating and pure, conveying wonderful lift to its raspberry and lavender flavors. Closes with resonating spiciness, silky tannins and a strong echo of candied red fruit. – September 2015 (Josh Raynolds)

Wine Advocate | 92
Fermented in concrete tanks before being moved to neutral barrels, the 100% Grenache 2013 Sensibility offers lots of pretty strawberry and darker-edged Grenache fruit, exotic flowers, mint and spice to go with a juicy, elegant, medium to full-bodied profile on the palate. Drink this semi-opaque, ruby colored beauty over the coming 5-7 years. – August 2015 (Jeb Dunnuck)

2012 Sensibility

Paderewski and Catapult Vineyards, Paso Robles
100% Grenache
Fermented in concrete tanks
Aged for 12 months in a concrete egg and 4 months in neutral French oak puncheons
274 cases produced | unfined and unfiltered

Vinous | 93
The 2012 Sensibility is soft, perfumed and very nicely balanced. Crushed flowers, spices, mint, leather and red stone fruits are woven together in the glass. Ripe, silky tannins support the highly expressive finish. This is the first vintage in which the Grenache was fermented with whole clusters, (40%) and aged in concrete, an approach that works beautifully here. In 2012, Sensibility also includes fruit from Catapult for the first time, which is about 20% of the blend, which is 95% Grenache and 5% Syrah. – July 2014 (Antonio Galloni)

Wine Advocate | 92
The 2012 Sensibility, 100% Grenache, is a layered, seamless effort that straddles the spectrum between the voluptuous, decadent style and the more finesse-driven, lighter weight example of the variety that California prefers to make. Showing an evolved, spice-laced bouquet of sweet kirsch, herbs de Provence, dusty soil, graphite and potpourri, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a core of sweet fruit, and a savory, slightly rustic tannin profile that continues to sweeten up with time in the glass. It drinks beautifully now with a decant, yet will evolve gracefully for another 7-8 years. – August 2014 (Jeb Dunnuck)

Wine Spectator | 91
Firm and dense, with a rich core of black licorice-laced berry and dusty, cedary oak. Taut, gripping tannins give the flavors traction, leaving gravelly, road tar-inflected sensation. Drink now thorugh 2028. – December 2014 (James Laube)

2011 Sensibility

Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
95% Grenache (Alban Clone 1) | 5% Syrah
Fermented in 100% concrete
Aged 16 months in 100% neutral puncheons
100 cases produced | unfined and unfiltered

Wine Advocate | 93
The 2011 Sensibility is pretty and elegant, with savory spice, underbrush and raspberry-styled aromas and flavors flowing to a medium to full-bodied, lively palate.  Rounded and supple, with beautiful fruit and texture, it won’t make old bones but will dish out loads of pleasure over the coming 5-6 years.  Drink now – 2019.  – August 2013 (Jeb Dunnuck)

2010 Sensibility

Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
75% Grenache | 22% Mourvèdre | 3% Syrah
Aged for 18 months in a once-used French oak puncheon
87 cases produced | unfined and unfiltered

Rhone Report | 95
A gorgeous wine and one of the top Grenache blends coming out of California today, the 2010 Epoch Estate Wines Sensibility Paderewski Vineyard  –  named after the Jane Austen novel Sense and Sensibility  –  is a blend of 75% Grenache, 22% Mourvedre, and 3% Syrah that was aged all in neutral puncheons.  It offers a perfumed, sweet array of creamy black raspberry, licorice, spiced meat, and big minerality to go with a full-bodied, seamless, and beautiful textured mouth feel.  Building in richness and depth over the evening and possessing an elegant, pure character, it should thrill for 5-8 years, possibly longer.  – (Jeb Dunnuck)

Wine Advocate | 95
A gorgeous wine and one of my favorite Grenache blends coming out of California today, the 2010 Sensibility (named after the Jane Austen novel “Sense and Sensibility”) is a blend of 75% Grenache, 22% Mourvedre and 3% Syrah that was aged all in neutral puncheons.  It offers a perfumed, sweet array of creamy black raspberry, licorice, spiced meat and big minerality to go with a full-bodied, seamless and beautifully textured mouth feel. Building in richness and depth over the evening and possessing an elegant, pure character, it should thrill for 5-7 years, possibly longer.  Drink now-2020.  – (Jeb Dunnuck)

Wine Spectator | 94
Layers of ripe dark red fruit followed by more exotic notes of orange peel and sweet spices flow from the 2010 Sensibility.  This decidedly more flashy style, partly becuase of the aging in relatively new French oak puncheons.  With time in the glass, the wine shows off striking inner perfume and serious density.  Anticipated maturity: 2013 – 2016. – (James Laube)

Vinous | 93+
Layers of ripe dark red fruit followed by more exotic notes of orange peel and sweet spices flow from the 2010 Sensibility.  This is a decidedly more flashy style, partly because of the aging in relatively new French oak puncheons.  With time in the glass, the wine shows off striking inner perfume and serious density. – August 2012 (Antonio Galloni)

2009 Sensibility