Creativity

Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Birth Place: 100% York Mountain Vineyards
Hometown: York Mountain, Templeton
Siblings: 75 cases
Birthdate: October 24, 2019
Birth Weight: 26.7 Brix
Rearing: Fermented in 100% new French oak puncheons
Education: Aged 18 months in French oak barrel and puncheon (70% new)
GPA: 4.01 pH | 5.1  g/L TA | 15.3% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled July 24, 2021

Biography: The king of varieties is making its first appearance at Epoch via our 2019 Creativity and is doing so with a splash as 100% Cab entirely from our York Mountain Vineyard. With its bouquet of black cherries and cassis, cedar, vanilla, tobacco, fresh cracked peppercorn, and red rose, it is undeniably a Cab. The mouth-filling elegance of this wine perfectly touches your entire palate’s surface area and will leave you wanting more for now and more for later to age in your cellar. Making a transcendental impression, this wine lingers on the senses long after you’re done drinking it.

Accolades: Wine Advocate 97, Jeb Dunnuck 95

Varietals: 66% Graciano, 18% Grenache, 16% Carignan
Birth Place: 100% Paderewski Vineyard
Hometown: Willow Creek District, Paso Robles
Siblings: 156 cases
Birthdate: October 1, 2018
Birth Weight: 26.7 Brix
Rearing: Fermented in concrete
Education: Aged 19 months in French oak puncheons (67% new)
GPA: 3.51 pH | 6.0 g/L TA | 15.1% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled July 16, 2020

Biography: The 2018 Creativity was born from a fun, experimental co-fermentation of Graciano, Carignan, and Grenache from Paderewski Vineyard. We watched this intensely garnet-hued wine progress from fermentation thru barrel aging and decided to capture its distinctive character in this singular bottling. Juicy is the best descriptor for this mouthwatering blend that is lush with jammy blackberry, ripe raspberry, sweet naval orange, and pluot mixed with chewy black licorice, rosemary bush, vitamins, and white pepper. Tannins take a back seat to the intense, thick fruits, minerals, and bright acidity.

Accolades: Jeb Dunnuck 92+, Erin Brooks 93

Varietals:95% Viognier, 5% Roussanne
Birth Place: 100% York Mountain Vineyard
Hometown: York Mountain, Paso Robles
Siblings: 73 cases
Birthdate: September 13, 2018
Rearing: Fermented cool in French oak barrels
Education: Aged nine months sur lie French oak barrels (69% new)
GPA: 3.32 pH | 6.3 g/L TA | 14.6% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled June 13, 2019 

Biography: Our first ever Viognier from our York Mountain Vineyard (and our first bottled wine from York Mountain to boot!) is a game changer. We did not know what to expect out of our newest (although historic) vineyard site, with its sandstone soils and more characteristic coastal influence. This wine exhibits a range of character traits we have yet to see in Central Coast Viognier. Aromas and flavors abound in both richness and freshness with ripe juicy pear, green apple, grilled pineapple, lime oil, orange blossom, and vanilla cream alongside a mouth-watering acidity that weaves its way through all aspects of sensation.

Accolades: Vinous 94

Varietals: 100% Syrah
Birth Place: 100% Catapult Vineyard
Hometown: Willow Creek, Paso Robles
Siblings: 443 cases
Birthdate: August 30 – September 25, 2017
Rearing: Fermented in stainless steel and oak tank
Education: Aged 13 months in French oak regular and mid-sized barrels (37% new) and then five months in concrete tank
GPA: 3.69 pH | 6.1 g/L TA | 15.8% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled June 13, 2019 

Biography: In 2017, the Syrah from our Catapult Vineyard stood out as different in fruit and tannin and demanded to be left as its own bottling – and so it became our 2017 Creativity. Taste this expression of Syrah next to our 2017 Paderewski Vineyard Block B, and you’ll really get a sense of the different terroirs of our two estate vineyards. The 2017 Creativity rides high on the palate with fresh blue and red fruits. So fresh in fact that the acid drives sensation to the top palate almost as soon as the wine hits your tastebuds. The big fruit gives way to freshly cured meats, roasted herbs, and rocky minerals. Give this wine some air and watch it develop in your glass or cellar.

Accolades: Jeb Dunnuck 96, Wine Advocate 95+

Varietals:100% Petite Sirah
Birth Place: 100% Paderewski Vineyard
Hometown: Willow Creek, Paso Robles
Siblings: 85 cases
Birthdate: September 9, 2015
Rearing: Fermented in new 1/2-ton French oak puncheons
Education: Aged 19 months in French oak puncheons
GPA: 3.95 pH | 5.8 g/L TA | 15.3% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled June 2, 2017

Biography: Tiny in production but big on memories, this single barrel fermentation of 100% Petite Sirah was begging to be left on its own to highlight the potential of this mighty grape. This wine won our hearts as the 2015 Creativity because of its unique, luxurious and harmonious mouthfeel, specific to the Petite Sirah grape but outstanding in every way. The velvety texture and lush mid-palate sing violets, semi-dark chocolate, vanilla bean, blackberries, tar, licorice and wet earth. Wish there was more to share of this beauty!

Accolades: Jeb Dunnuck 95, Vinous 94, Wine Advocate 94

Varietals: 100% Mourvèdre
Birth Place: 100% Paderewski Vineyard
Hometown: Willow Creek, Paso Robles
Siblings: 157 cases
Birthdate: September 19, 2014
Rearing: Fermented in concrete tank
Education: Aged ~ 18 months: 70% new French oak and 30% neutral oak
GPA: 3.60 pH | 6.0 g/L TA | 15.9% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled May 17, 2016 

Biography: In some special vintages, Mourvèdre has it all and stands alone as an über full, über soft and über unforgettable wine. 2014, like 2013, was an exceptional vintage for Mourvèdre, and thus we had to leave it by itself yet again and bottle it as the vintage Creativity. The richness of the 2014 vintage is not overplayed in this 100% Mourvèdre. Lush and rich earthy bass notes are meaty, rooty and foresty at first take, however, lavender perfume, bing cherry and red plum fruit subtly make their way into the glass with air.

Accolades: Jeb Dunnuck 97, Vinous 94, Wine Advocate 94

Varietals: 100% Mourvèdre, clone 369
Birth Place: 100% Paderewski Vineyard
Hometown: Willow Creek, Paso Robles
Siblings: 194 cases
Birthdate: August 24, 2013
Rearing: Fermented ~35% whole cluster in concrete tank
Education: Aged for 15 months in 33% new French oak barrels and puncheons
GPA: 3.92 pH | 5.3 g/L TA | 15.8% Alc.
Graduation: Bottled February 10, 2015

Biography: The 2013 Creativity defines purity. Her DNA is simple – 100% Mourvèdre from one single harvest pick – but she carries the complexity of a multi-variety blend. A complete wine, balanced and focused, she effortlessly resides at the intersection of the senses, where savory and earthy flavors collide with sweet red fruits and white pepper. From first sip, she leads you on the emotional journey of the indefinable art in wine. Starting with fermentation in concrete through élevage in barrel to bottling, this wine has never swayed from her core personality and will show you how Mourvèdre can hold her own next to Bordeauxs, GSMs and Pinots alike.

Accolades: Wine Advocate 96, Wine Spectator 92, Vinous 93

Varietals: 90% Syrah | 10% Roussanne
Birth Place: Catapult Vineyard
Hometown: Willow Creek, Paso Robles
Siblings: 93 cases produced
Rearing: Fermented in one-ton bins. Cofermented with whole cluster Roussanne.
Education: Aged for 17 months in 50% new French oak barrels

Biography: Syrah with Roussanne? I mean, come on! You gotta have at least two bottles for your cellar. These two northern Rhône varieties marry seamlessly in this age-worthy Syrah from our Catapult Vineyard. Roussanne softens the texture of the Syrah and makes the wine sit a little lighter on the palate, but you’d never know that it’s there if we didn’t tell you (meaning this wine is a powerful red wine). Warning – this wine sparks great creativity!

Accolades: Wine Advocate 95+, Vinous 90+

Varietals: 100% Grenache
Birth Place: Catapult Vineyard
Hometown: Willow Creek, Paso Robles
Siblings: 47 cases produced
Rearing: Fermented in 100% Concrete
Education: Aged 18 months in one New French oak puncheon
Siblings: 47 cases produced

Biography: In a given vintage, there is always a single lot of wine — from harvest to fermentation — whose unique character screams at us to leave it alone rather than including it in a larger blend. Creativity is just that, and what we call “winemaker’s choice.” There is no plan for what Creativity will end up being from year to year, but it promises to always keep us on our toes. Creativity represents winemaking experimentation, the chances we’ve taken in the vineyard and winery, and sometimes just pure delicious luck! It is only fitting that we commence our first vintage of Creativity with the wine that brought this label to fruition, a single pick of Grenache from our Catapult Vineyard during the 2011 vintage. Super limited in production, this wine will never ever be recreated!

Accolades: Wine Advocate 93, Vinous 92