The Paring Red Blend 2018
The Paring Red Blend 2018
Made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot respectively, this red blend is a cohesive representation of the sandy soils and cooler climates found in the vineyard sites The Paring works with throughout California. The wine is aged for 22 months in French oak, of which 55% is new.
Ratings
The 2018 Red Wine checks in as 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. It’s a medium to full-bodied, ripe, rounded, nicely concentrated blend with lots of ripe currant and blackberry fruits as well as an herbal kick in its tobacco, earth, and ripe herb aromas and flavors. It’s ideal for drinking over the coming 5-7 years or more.
- 90 points, August, 2021, Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
black and red fruit, plums
green herbs
grilled bread
some espresso, tobacco
bright acidity
Food Pairing
red and white meats
grilled vegetables
VARIETAL COMPOSITION Syrah
REGION California
COUNTRY United States
APPELLATION(S) Santa Barbara County, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley
PROPRIETORS Stan Kroenke
FOUNDED 1996
WINEMAKER Matt Dees
Made from the vineyard blocks that are either too young or don't fit into the vintage style of the highly acclaimed Jonata and The Hilt wines—The Paring is essentially a "chip off the old block." The grapes are sourced primarily from three Santa Barbara regions on the vanguard: Ballard Canyon, Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley.
Armed with a degree in Soil Science from the University of Vermont and vintages at Staglin in Napa, California and Craggy Range in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, Matt has an intrinsic feel for wine, from dirt to glass. Curious and experimental by nature, Matt’s approach to winemaking is grounded in the vineyard first and foremost: attuned to the vines, the weather, the soil, Matt seems almost to be a part of the vineyard itself.
Matt comes to wine with an untethered philosophy, a mindset embodied in The Paring. At the core of these wines one finds a wide-ranging exploration of style, vineyards and blending. When he's not working with The Paring, Matt can be found making the wines for its big sister wineries - Jonata and The Hilt.
