Villa Creek Onda

Exact blend is not known, roughly 1/3 James Berry Syrah, 1/3 Ohana Tempranillo, and 1/3 either Gremache or Denner Mourvedre. Website and bottle label differ on the last grape. Medium to dark ruby, lighter on the rim. Black cherries, blackberries, loads of minerality, underbrush, smoked meat, pepper, bacon, and baking spices on the very open and inviting nose. Fairly full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Big and ripe on the palate but with no over ripe …

Consistent with prior notes. This blend of Grenache, Tempranillo and Syrah is terrific.

1/3 each Grenache, Tempranillo and Syrah. Almost sinfully deep, dark and delicious with overtones of red fruit, smoke, meat and tar. One of VC's best wines.

15.2% ABV. I fully intended to wait before opening another bottle of this, but forgot while trying to quickly grab something to please the wife. Translucent dark garnet in the glass with a sweet oak nose that carried with it the faintest suggestion of TCA, but it didn't get more pronounced with air, so I figure my senses were off. The oak has a slightly drying quality overlying ripe red fruit. Some additional garrigue-like nuances emerged with air. Medium-full bodied …

Tasting room pour. Dark, saturated purple/red. Complex nose of dark fruits, bacon, underbrush, smoke, tar, and spices. A little tight on the palate but it still pops with dark boysenberry type fruit, smoked bacon, tar, and spices. Medium+ body with excellent concentration, very fine tannins, and nice structure. Drinking quite well now but this seems primed for improvement over the next few years as it sheds its fine sheath of tannin. 91++

15.2% ABV. Popped and poured, though it might have benefited from a little decanting. Almost opaque dark garnet in the glass. Sweet oak nose with vanilla spice and a suggestion of BBQ and smoke. Rich sweet berry fruit with a definite hedonistic bent. This probably needs some time for the oak to hopefully integrate, but it could turn heads.

Dense, concentrated and impressive for it's amazing core of pure fruit combined with power and finesse. An exciting red offering fleshy red berry, raspberry, red plum and spice. A rustic finish that will smooth out in the end. A wine still evolving and coming together, but should be a tip top Onda. To be released in 2011. Thanks to Cris for sharing this highly anticipated wine with me. Villa Creek tasting room - Paso Robles Harvest Festival.