JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery
2021 JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery Isosceles – One Great Wine!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The background for 30 years for the Isosceles philosophy has been to make it “their flagship wine and quality benchmark from Central Coast of California. A blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon supported by Cabernet Franc and Merlot” states Scott Shirley. Paso Robles grows each of these varietals to near perfection.
First looking into the glass with the wine, a bright and dark purple, almost black coloring and medium heavy viscosity. On the nose, mellow and soft cherry with a hint of soft vanilla pipe tobacco. On the palate this is one of the smoothest wines imaginable yet with strong characteristics. Black cherry with notes of oak, cedar and subtle leather fills the mouth. There was also a hint of licorice. The finish was layered and complex with each sip exposing the genuine uniqueness of this wine. Tannins were present and velvety but kept in check. Wine Enthusiast rated it 93 points, but it is surely higher today in my opinion. This will make my Best Wines tasted in 2025, the annual list comes out in December. The alcohol level is 15.5%.
The current vintage 2022 sells for $85/bottle and is just slightly different from the 2021 mix which was comprised of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 7% Merlot.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with a filet mignon BBQ’ed to medium rare. Accompanied by a fresh Cesar salad and mashed potatoes (not shown). The food and wine pairing was delicious with the wine tannins helping with the meat and embracing each morsel with fruit. Another excellent food and wine pairing this evening.
The Winery
Photo from JUSTING Vineyards & Winery website
The winery started first with a philosophy of taking the best of the Old-World meeting with the New World with an imaginative blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The goal of bringing about the Right Bank wonders of these two grapes and making an outlandish wine was the cornerstone of their existence. Herbs, red fruit with structure and elegance came together in their Justification blend.
Photo from JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery website
Justin Baldwin, owner and founder of Justin Vineyards and Winery summed up the goal very neatly with the statement “We believe the wine should be exceptional from every angle. I personally invite you to discover our award-winning tradition that starts with our limestone-rich soil in Paso Robles and ends when the last glass is poured”.
The winery was founded in 1961 when they (Justin & Deborah Baldwin) purchased their 160 acre estate in the Adelaide Hills. It is located 15 miles west of Paso Robles.
Photo from JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery website
Their talented wine maker is Scott Shirley who came to Justin in 2012. He is a graduate of UC Davis and worked at Opus One after college. His Justification blend in 2017 was named top wine in the world in 2017 and received 94 points from Wine Spectator for the 2014 vintage.
While having experienced their Isosceles and Justification wines, they produce many others. The reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, various red blends, Pinot Noir (Russian River), Malbec, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Merlot and Syrah. Their white wines include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay (both from the Central Coast & Sonoma County) and Viognier. Looking forward to tasting several of these other wines soon.
Sláinte,
Michael