Veracity

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Our nod to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this Grenache-based blend embraces its status as a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) with elegance, panache, and a consistent sunny-ness that reminds Owner, Bill Armstrong, of the wines from the Southern Rhone – wines that inspired him to start this crazy Epoch journey in the first place.

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In the spring of 2015, after much dreaming and planning, we began planting vines at this “cool climate” site (colder than Burgundy). Located just seven miles from the Pacific Ocean at an elevation of 1,500 feet, this property falls in the small 640 acre York Mountain AVA, which is outside of the very large Paso Robles AVA.

The soils and climate are very different than our other two vineyards. The combination of sandstone soils (some areas look like you are on the beach) with a very moderate climate due to the even closer proximity to the Pacific Ocean make this site quite the departure from our Paderewski and Catapult Vineyards. Because of its elevation and distance from the ocean, York Mountain receives more than twice the amount of rainfall as our other vineyards and has characteristic foggy mornings throughout the year with cool breezes all day long.

When deciding what to plant, we wanted to keep with what we know and love best, but we also decided to experiment a bit too. We planted mostly Syrah and Grenache with the hopes of crafting pure varietal expressions of these two Rhône grapes on our very different terroir. In addition, we grow a small amount of Viognier, Roussanne, Zinfandel, and for the first time ever, Cabernet. We love the spice, fresh fruit, and bright acidity York Mountain Vineyard brings out in these varieties.


Vintage Details:

2019

MY PROFILE
Parentage: 58% Paderewski, 35% Catapult, and 7% York Mountain Vineyards
Stomping Grounds: Rocky limestone, shale, and sandstone hillsides of all exposures
District: Willow Creek | Hometown: Paso Robles
Ethnicity: 44% Mourvèdre, 43% Grenache, 13% Syrah
Siblings: 1,240 Cases Produced

MY STATS
Birthdate: September 19 – October 22, 2019 | Birth Weight: 26.1° Brix
Rearing: Fermented in concrete and stainless steel tanks
Education: Aged 17 months in French oak mid-sized barrels and puncheons (37% new)
GPA: 3.81 pH | 5.0 g/L TA | 15.1% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled May 17, 2021 | Debut: Released Spring 2022 | Prime Eligibility: 2024 – 2032

MY BIO BY WINEMAKER JORDAN FIORENTINI
With so much obvious freshness, minerality, and elegance, you may be surprised to learn that our 2019 Veracity did not age in any concrete, only a myriad of various sized barrels (37% new). Texturally, this wine feels like biting into a perfectly ripe, fleshy black cherry. The palate is chewy, mouth-filling, and round, yet never too heavy or tannic in any one spot. Integrated, bright acid keeps the wine’s motion in an ascending sensation. Black cherry aromas and flavors abound alongside notes of forest floor, wet soil, thyme, sweet tobacco, blood orange, and violets and finish with dark chocolate, pencil shavings, and black pepper.

MORE FUN ABOUT ME
Scores: Jeb Dunnuck 96

2017

MY PROFILE
Parentage: 90% Paderewski and 10% Catapult Vineyards
District: Willow Creek | Hometown: Paso Robles
Stomping Grounds: Limestone and shale-studded hillsides of all exposures
Ethnicity: 47% Mourvèdre, 34% Grenache,  19% Syrah
Siblings: 870 Cases Produced

MY STATS
Birthdate: August 31 – October 10, 2017 | Birth Weight: 26.5° Brix
Rearing: Fermented in concrete and stainless steel tanks
Education: Aged 18 months: 36% in concrete tulip and the balance in French oak mid-sized barrels and puncheons (26% new)
GPA: 3.70 pH | 5.6 g/L TA | 15.4% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled May 7, 2019 | Debut: Released Spring 2020 | Prime Eligibility: 2022 – 2028

MY BIO BY WINEMAKER JORDAN FIORENTINI
This wine resides in the place where the forest, the ocean, and the hillside berry patch meet. With air, the wine opens up to create a lush, full, and energized palatial experience that is constantly see-sawing between the sweet and savory: roasted game, grilled herbs, damp forest floor, purple-berried fruit, sun-warmed lavender, kalamata, and black olive. She’s a hunter-gatherer and shows us how unforgettable and meaningful Mourvèdre from West Paso can be.

MORE FUN ABOUT ME
Scores: Jeb Dunnuck 96, Vinous 96, Wine Advocate 94

2016

MY PROFILE
Parentage: 78% Paderewski and 22% Catapult Vineyards
District: Willow Creek | Hometown: Paso Robles
Stomping Grounds: Limestone and shale-studded hillsides of all exposures
Ethnicity: 51% Mourvèdre, 36% Grenache,  13% Syrah | Siblings: 851 Cases Produced

MY STATS
Birthdate: August 31 – September 27, 2016 | Birth Weight: 26.7° Brix
Rearing: Fermented in concrete, oak, and stainless steel
Education: Aged 17 months: 28% in concrete tulip and the balance in French oak barrels and puncheons (32% new)
GPA: 3.68 pH | 5.9 g/L TA | 15.5% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled May 24, 2018 | Debut: Released Spring 2019 | Prime Eligibility: 2020 – 2028

MY BIO BY WINEMAKER JORDAN FIORENTINI
In our game-changing 2016 Veracity, Mourvèdre outnumbers Grenache (51 to 36%) as this blend’s new leading lady. Time and time again, Mourvèdre adds elegance and gravitas to our beloved GSM, and it has finally tipped the scales. Ephemeral, smooth yet lively, the 2016 Veracity offers flavors of red raspberries, honeydew melon, rhubarb, grilled herbs, lavender, fennel, navel orange and forest dew. The wine’s texture, minerality and acid are beautifully in balance, creating a remarkable weight and energy on the palate.

MORE FUN ABOUT ME
Scores: Jeb Dunnuck 98, Vinous 98, Wine Enthusiast 95, Wine Advocate 93, Wine Spectator 93

2015

MY PROFILE
Parentage: 52% Paderewski and 48% Catapult Vineyards
District: Willow Creek | Hometown: Paso Robles
Stomping Grounds: Steep slopes of shale and limestone
Ethnicity: 47% Grenache, 34% Mourvèdre, 19% Syrah | Siblings: 866 Cases Produced

MY STATS
Birthdate: Sepetember 10 – 24, 2015 | Birth Weight: 26.8° Brix
Rearing: Fermented in concrete, stainless steel, and oak tanks and 1⁄2-ton French oak puncheons
Education: Aged 18 months: 28% in concrete tulip and the balance in French oak (24% new)
GPA: 3.7 pH | 5.5 g/L TA | 15.4% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled May 2, 2017 | Debut: Released Spring 2017 | Prime Eligibility: 2020 – 2026

MY BIO BY WINEMAKER JORDAN FIORENTINI
Grenache and Mourvèdre are playing seamlessly together (with Syrah adding a bit of moral support) as they sing our in balanced chorus in this southern-Rhône inspired beauty. Sense the balance between concrete and barrel aging in the wine’s rock-licking minerality, gorgeous fresh berry and citrus fruits and fine tannin.

MORE FUN ABOUT ME
Scores: Wine Advocate 97+, Jeb Dunnuck 97, Vinous 96, Wine Enthusiast 94

2014

MY PROFILE
Parentage: 63% Paderewski and 37% Catapult Vineyards
District: Willow Creek | Hometown: Paso Robles
Stomping Grounds: Steep slopes of shale and limestone
Ethnicity: 66% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre, 16% Syrah | Siblings: 875 Cases Produced

MY STATS
Birthdate: August 29 – October 1, 2014 | Birth Weight: 27.0° Brix
Rearing: Fermented in concrete tanks and 1⁄2-ton French oak puncheons
Education: Aged 18 months: 8% concrete egg, 24% new French oak and 68% neutral oak
GPA: 3.52 pH | 5.9 g/L TA | 15.4% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled May 17, 2016 | Debut: Released Spring 2017 | Prime Eligibility: 2018 – 2025

MY BIO BY WINEMAKER JORDAN FIORENTINI
This lush and vibrant West Paso Roblean GSM is unabashedly fruit driven, but don’t underestimate her age-ability and pensiveness. Upfront she is all red, juicy fruit and sweet orange, however, as she breathes in your glass, the intricacies, albeit idiosyncrasies, of a Grenache-based GSM will entice you. Bursting with fruit, great delineating acidity, sun-drenched herbs and crushed rock minerality, she gets more complex with air and most definitely needs time in bottle.

MORE FUN ABOUT ME
Scores: Jeb Dunnuck 95, Vinous 94, Wine Advocate 94, Wine Enthusiast 92, Wine Spectator 90

2013

Birthplace: Paderewski and Catapult Vineyards
District: Willow Creek | Hometown: Paso Robles
Stomping Grounds: No more than 10” of topsoil on shale and limestone slopes

MY PROFILE
Ethnicity: 49% Grenache, 34% Mourvèdre, 17% Syrah
Gender: Female | Eye Color: Green | Hair Color: Dark brown | Body Shape: Tall and graceful, think runway model
Aspirations: Documentarian | Hobbies: Vocals and blues guitar | Siblings: 912 Cases Produced

MY STATS
Birthdate: September 3 – October 4, 2013 | Birth Weight: 27.1° Brix
Rearing: Fermented ~27% whole cluster in concrete and stainless steel tanks, one-ton bins and 1/2 ton French oak puncheons
Education: Aged for 17 months in 32% new French oak mid-sized barrels and puncheons
GPA: 3.63 pH | 5.7 g/L TA | 15.6% Alc. | Major: Women’s Studies and Gender Equality | Minor: Journalism
Graduation: Bottled April 2015 | Debut: Released Fall 2015 | Liberation: Rallying from 2017 – 2027

MY BIO BY WINEMAKER JORDAN FIORENTINI
Blended elegance. Like Scarlett Johansson in a straight jacket, the 2013 Veracity is barely revealing her obvious yet masked potential. If ever people say Grenache is not a serious grape, make them try this wine! Cellaring and decanting is not just for beefy Syrahs and Cabernets; with its bright acid backbone and vibrant peppery structure, the newest Veracity vintage is begging for patience. Earthy, foresty Mourvèdre grounds the boisterous fruit and adds weight and cohesion to the mouthwatering texture and chalky rock minerality.

MORE FUN ABOUT ME
Scores: Wine Advocate 95, Vinous 92, Wine Enthusiast 91 & Cellar Selection, Wine Spectator 90

2012

Paderewski and Catapult Vineyards, Paso Robles
55% Grenache | 27% Mourvèdre | 18% Syrah
Fermented in concrete and stainless steel tanks, one-ton bins, and 1/2 ton puncheons
Aged for 17 months in concrete egg and 30% new French oak barrels and puncheons
920 cases produced | unfined and unfiltered

Serious wine alert! Beyond its vibrant youthfulness, there is a deep soul to the 2012 Veracity that will remind you of all the reasons why wine is wine. The aromas, flavors, acid and picante tannins all merge together to create a unique balance unto only this wine. Reminiscent of the Southern Rhone wines that inspired its inception, yet so obviously born of west Paso, this wine is only starting to reveal its true colors. – Jordan Fiorentini, Winemaker

ScoresWine Advocate 94, Wine Enthusiast 94 & Editors’ Choice, Vinous 92, International Wine Report 91, Wine Spectator 91

2011

Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
57% Grenache | 25% Mourvèdre | 18% Syrah
Fermeted predominantly in concrete along with one-ton bins and stainless steel tanks
Aged 16 months in 25% new French oak
651 cases produced | Unfined and Unfiltered

Grenache is the headliner in Epoch’s 2011 Veracity, a southern-Rhone inspired blend, showing the still velvety but also more muscle-y side of the grape in terms of structure and focus – think Lara Croft vs. Audrey Hepburn. – Jordan Fiorentini, Winemaker

ScoresWine Enthusiast 95 & Editors’ Choice, Wine Advocate 93, International Wine Report 92+, Vinous 92, Wine Spectator 91

2010

Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
69% Grenache | 23% Mourvèdre | 4% Syrah | 4% Counoise
Aged for 18 months in 41% new French oak barrels and puncheons
589 cases produced

Epoch’s 2010 Veracity is a juicy, layered Grenache based GSM grown on the slopes of our limestone-studded Paderewski Vineyard. With its Grenache component fermented mostly in concrete, this wine’s minerality is subtly juxtaposed next to lush red fruit, citrus and white flowers – quite enticing. Many of the lots that make up this blend were expressive co-fermentations of Syrah with Grenache and Mourvèdre. Counoise also makes an appearance for the first time to add spice and bright strawberry elements. Don’t let Grenache wines fool you – they age just as well as Syrah and need time to open up. – Jordan Fiorentini, Winemaker

ScoresJeb Dunnuck 95, Rhone Report 95, Wine Advocate 94, Wine Spectator 94, Vinous 92

2009

Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
36% Grenache | 32% Syrah | 32% Mourvèdre
Aged for 20 months in 38% new French oak
374 cases produced

Elegant yet approachable, the 2009 Veracity will charm the Rhone fanatic as well as the curious newcomers. It is a pure and seamless ‘GSM’ blend with almost equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre that shows the brilliance and finesse of Rhone grapes from our Paderewski Vineyard. This wine possesses bright, aromatic and mouth-watering tangerine citrus notes that pop out of the glass and linger through the finish – most likely a product of its Grenache component. In addition, hints of rose petals, dried brush, red raspberry and vanilla are just a few more elements that combine in this velvety-textured Rhone drink. – Jordan Fiorentini, Winemaker

Scores: Jeb Dunnuck 94, Rhone Report 94, Vinous 93, Wine Spectator 93, Wine Advocate 92

2007

Paderewski Vineyard, Paso Robles
48% Grenache | 39% Mourvèdre | 13% Syrah
Aged 14 months in 65% new French oak barrels
181 cases produced

A beautiful expression of Grenache… floral-laced fruit, spice and velvety texture. One of our three Rhone-based blends, Veracity is Epoch’s exuberant and voluptuous ‘GSM’ blend, loaded with floral-laced fruit, spice and velvety texture. The 2007 Veracity shows inviting aromas of sweet citrus flower, candied orange peel, black raspberry and sassafras leading to a bright and soft, lush palate with intense berry fruit and cigar box spices. Beautifully perfumed with a fruit-forward and rich mouthfeel, this wine will make a Grenache-drinker out of anybody. Drink now or with 5-10 years cellar age.

ScoresWine Advocate 94, Rhone Report 93,Wine Spectator 92, Vinous 90

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