Herman Story, Late Bloomer, California

Herman Story · California › United States of America

Red · Grenache

Critics

92 /100

Reviews

professional

Vintages

No vintages

No vintage-specific entries have been added for this wine.

Community Reviews

Reviews

91.6

Avg Score

Highest

Fantastic. On our second bottle we decanted 30 minutes before drinking. Mature: oak, black pepper, hints of cayenne pepper under strawberry and bing cherry.

2017 vintage

PnP, but definitely better after 15 minutes of air. Dark violet to a faded rim in the glass. Lots of dark fruit and earth on the nose. The medium bodied palate showed this dark fruit and earth, along with a good amount of spice. The acidity was balancing, there was only a touch of tannin on the finish, and the 15.7% alcohol was not obvious. Could continue to hold but suggest drinking up for maximum enjoyment.

2014 vintage

My last opening suggested I need to let my next opening breath more. I was right. WOW! I wished I had 12 more of these babies. Incredible richness. Definitely have this one this year!

2014 vintage

No formal notes, but in a beautiful spot. Lots of life remaining

2014 vintage

Deep extraction. Intense fruit but not a fruit bomb. Full mouth feel. Sustained finish. Nice structure. Delicious food wine.

2014 vintage

Careful, this wine disappears from the glass! Really popping right now. Monster bright red fruit, mild complimentary tannins, seems peak.

2017 vintage

Nice balance of fruit and peppery grenache. Still youthful after extended time in oak plus cellaring. Need a little air to open up.

2017 vintage

Used to love HS wines, but now I see them as high alcohol cocktail wines and on the fruit bomb side. I find other Paso producers have better balanced wines. I guess my tastes are changing.

2017 vintage

As always, wonderful. Went well with steak.

2017 vintage

Amazing with a Brisket!

2017 vintage

Big yet smooth tastes of dark fruits. Aged well. Drinking great now.

2014 vintage

Delicious indeed. Exotic spice notes with a heavy ripe tannin and acid balance which works very well with the high alcohol. You have to be in the mood for this but if you are, it is excellent.

2017 vintage

So delicious!

2017 vintage

Delicious. Tight up front; silky and even a bit creamy after some air. Tobacco and spice.

2017 vintage

Consistent to previous bottle I just had. Very good!

2017 vintage

Darn that smells of oak. And darn that is huge.

2017 vintage

A bit sweet, nice body and nose though.

2014 vintage

Found the bouquet quite displeasing with a scent I couldn't really define. The wine itself was okay with a decent mid with dark fruit and some mellowed tannins on the backend. That said not sure if my pallete has changed or the wine developed differently than I expected as I didn't really enjoy it as much as I expected.

2014 vintage

Drinking very well right now as a PnP. Dark red and black fruits, cinnamon, vanilla, five spice. Tree bark, asphalt, great balance for a wine with this level of alcohol, very smooth.

2014 vintage

This was a rare miss for HS - too sweet, a little flabby, lacked the tannic and acid structure to stand up to the gobs of blue fruit, spice, and <16% etoh.

2014 vintage

Really nice showcase for the grape variety. Really good nose bordering on perfumey. Nice structure and balance with chocolate, tobacco, and leather notes. Good clean finish that doesn't linger. Pairs very nice with flavorful steak dinner.

2014 vintage

Massive and ripe Grenache, but there’s a good tannin structure to keep it from getting over the top and syrupy. Drink when it’s damn cold outside and you want something to warm you up.

2014 vintage

To dark to evaluate color; aromas of chocolate, cigar and cedar; full body; incredible fruit with balanced tannins; long finish; very enjoyable already.

2014 vintage

Dark red and black fruits, milk chocolate, cinnamon, five spice, vanilla, very smooth, great as a PnP.

2014 vintage

Just released Grenache! At 15.7% alcohol. And that is all mid palate.

2014 vintage

Drank w Frank, Annie and mom

2014 vintage

Taste Big Reds (San Diego Wine Co.) : Aged in FR oak (30% new) for 48 mos N: Fragrant wild straws with vanilla & cinnamon P: Med, poss MF, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by some puckerish astringency which pretty much loses its bite by the LONG, spicily pleasant finish with a bitter/SWT choc tinge to the few, very, VERY fine tannins. For now & through '21. 15.7% My VG+/EXC-, arguably the higher for …

2014 vintage