Villa Creek, Avenger, Paso Robles

past its peak

2008 vintage

It’s been 13 years since I discovered Villa Creek during a journey through the Paso Robles wine country. I tasted an earlier vintage of Avenger at that time and was enthralled by the dense, chewy Rhone blend. The 2012 Avenger reminds me why I loved this wine. It was every bit as powerful and complex as I remember my first tasting at the winery. It did not appear at all faded nine years after its vintage. I savored the 2012 …

2012 vintage

big dark Syrah.

2012 vintage

No notes but enjoyed by everyone. Drinking beautifully. A joy to drink.

2012 vintage

Brought this to a galentine pizza party. Was worried it was past its prime but it was very good. No brown cells were detectible and the taste was clean with no signs of being past its prime. Very rewarding and went well with the pizza, chocolate-dipped strawberries and homebaked cookies. Had good depth and great carrying power. It got better and better as the night progressed and it was allowed to breathe. Overall, surprisingly good.

2012 vintage

Delicious, oak had receded and after a little air terrificly balanced. Had with hanger steak.

2012 vintage

In a good place right now ( (12/17/19). l would think it has some more mileage on it but why take the chance?

2012 vintage

Tasted blind. Feminine, beautiful cranberry aromas with hints of plumeria. Dense, alcohol is totally hidden. The fruit is pretty cool-toned. Long finish of cocoa powder. Good, but will be better in 3 years. Universally likeable. No idea on region.

2012 vintage

Another big Paso blend. Predominately Syrah along with Mourvèdre an Grenache.

2012 vintage

A pretty nose - strong floral component along with black fruit and a bit of sweet tar. Nice. The wine seems young and tight in the mouth. Aggressive drying tannins. It wasn't at first but after the bottle had been open an hour or so, it really tightened up. Fighting past the tannins, one finds black everything - fruit, black dirt, tar. A food wine. Reminds of a hot vintage Gigondas. Big wine. Cold weather and hearty food is how …

2012 vintage

Nice wine though seems a bit muted at present.

2012 vintage

Special bottle- classic Paso Thine Ranger blend with jerked meat, pepper, and charcoal. Dark dark color near opaque. Could sip this one for days and not get bored. Very nice!

2012 vintage

The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), blackberry, blueberry, fig, dust, coconut, vanilla, black pepper, meaty and honey. It tastes like blackberry, blueberry, prune, plum, dust, forest floor, bark, vanilla, lead pencil, black pepper, green olive and molasses. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.

2008 vintage

1/2 hour decant. Red and blue fruit. Drink or hold.

2012 vintage

Very light and fruity with a hint of spice on the finish

2012 vintage

Nice lighter style with good balance and soft spice on the finish

2012 vintage

This wine is generally overrated. Colour is dark as you'd expect and nose immediately belies what is about to happen which is an abundance of fruit without much else to back it up. A very jammy mouthfeel just overwhelms whatever subtlety there might be in this wine. After having it open for a few hours, I noticed some pleasant herb notes with some nice cedar touches. But by that point the wine had a heavy dose of acidity creep in …

2012 vintage

Excellent GSM blend with a higher percentage of Syrah in the blend. Nice and meaty

2012 vintage

A very heady , dense, and utterly delicious GSM blend. I must note that I do exhibit some partiality to southern Rhone and Paso blends. Full rich bouquet of dark fruits, clove, and blackberry preserves. Mouth coating and full on the palate. The Mourvedre adds a certain decadence only found in these blends. The only issue was a sense of palate fatigue after 2 large glasses. Paired with a rare Angus burger with pierogi and hot sauce.

2012 vintage

Rich, dark fruit, if not a bit stewed or pruny. Complex and smooth, with a long finish.

2008 vintage

A good Paso SMG blend from @villacreekcellars to go with a cheese dinner. Dark berry on the nose, full bodied with the dark fruit following through on the palate. Still very young and primary but opened up after about an hour of decanting.

2012 vintage

Villa Creek continues to create excellent GSM blends. Nose of dark berries mixed with strawberry (the Grenache?), and very floral. On the palate, the dark berry taste is dominant. Only thing holding it back from higher score is finish - it just sort drops off leaving you wondering .

2012 vintage

Big and bold with syrah dominate fruit at present. Really needs some time but has a huge upside.

2012 vintage

A very lush enjoyable wine. Rich black fruit on the front some spice on the mid and a supple finish with a hint of vanilla. Not getting much of the licorice but I kind of get little hints at of it at times. Very supple enjoyable wine

2012 vintage

Tasted after a 4-hr decant. This GSM is sourced from the Luna Matta and the celebrated James Berry vineyards. (The latter vineyard is the source of Saxum and Carlisle's best Syrahs). The wine is inky with a razor-thin ruby halo. It offers aromas and flavors of blackberry, raspberry, lavender, licorice and muted baking spices with a lengthy, memorable finish. This is a lush, full-bodied, hedonistic wine. And unquestionably, the best Avenger ever produced by Villa Creek. Multiple bottles tasted with …

2012 vintage

Excellent, held up well. Open 30-60min before drinking

2008 vintage

91+. Very nice. A nose and palate full of dark, intense fruit. This wine is complex and has excellent balance, followed by a smooth, lasting finish.

2008 vintage

Excellent. Thirty minutes of decanting allowed this blend to really open up. Layers of dark and lush fruit with surprising depth. Smooth, lasting finish.

2008 vintage

P & P. Smooth, with spiced red cherries and chocolate.

2008 vintage

dark intense color, full body, high alcohol, feels like 15.5%. Dark fruit but not stewed or prune. Med tanin

2008 vintage

Really great match for our pork ribs smothered in green chili. Big berry fruit with cocoa, earth, and a bit of pepper.

2008 vintage

The wine is a deep, dark, ruby red color. The sexy and inviting nose has black raspberries, graphite, incense, cherries, plums, fresh wild flowers, melted licorice, vanilla, dark chocolate, and some subtle earthiness. This has a full body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity. On the palate, besides a load of nice fruit, there are abundant amounts of dark chocolate, pepper, vanilla, and a floral element. The finish is very long and highlighted by juicy, crushed berries, dark chocolate, …

2008 vintage

Terrific. Wonderful up front fruit, all in harmony.

2008 vintage

absolutley delicious blend. heavy on the front and crisp on the back, paired wonderfully with a variety of dishes. Could have used more time in the decanter, but the crowd wasn't willing to wait!

2008 vintage

Sweet, dark fruit on the nose. plenty of lush fruit on the palate. held up very well for 3 nights. nice finish

2008 vintage

Dark fruit. Rich, concentrated, yet balanced. A great Cal-Rhone.

2008 vintage

very nice nose of sweet cherries, flowers, and spices; well integrated tannins with a palate of cherries, berries, meat, earth and a hint of pencil lead, followed by a long and satifying finish.

2008 vintage

It's always good when the wife walks in with her glass and says "Wow, this wine is good. What is it?". Excellent GSM dark purple and layered tastes. Pleasantly surprising.

2008 vintage

Fascinating. Deep purple core, ruby rim. Aromas and flavors of dark berry cobbler, graphite, smoke, fat, and flowers. Rich and ripe, but held in check by refreshing acidity and superfine tannins that carry wild berry flavors through the long, long finish. Nothing's out of balance. 15.5% ABV; where's it hiding? A reminder to invest in what's left of the '08 Paso vintage.

2008 vintage

Rich, dark, earth with a bit of black fruit. Opened up nicely through the evening and on day 2.

2008 vintage

15.5% ABV. My inventory got off on this and lo and behold I have another bottle. This one comes across as a bit heavy handed with the oak on the nose. Vanilla asian spice follows. Full bodied, but a bit chunky with oaky vanilla and dark fruit. Perhaps a bit of cellar time will improve this. Not bad, but a bit too much in this instance.

2008 vintage

Smell is of licorice and berry with a deep red color. The taste is a shapri bite at the start followed by licorice, berry and peppers. The pepper spice is strong at the end. At first it was a bit on the bitter side along with the spice, but that cleared with a bit of time. This developed very well in the glass and suggests that this will only improve with more time in the cellar. A side note is …

2008 vintage

Wonderful SMG blend with rich flavors. It's bold, rich and really tasty! Dense berry, loam, blackberry, wildberry and black cherry. Lots of smoke and earth and hints of bacon fat. Roasted cocoa. Full and lingers long. Really nice!

2008 vintage

A rich, raspberry filled core of fruit, with a nice layered mid-pallette and just a touch of oak. More in the candied style, but that could be from the baby fat. Very Nice!

2008 vintage

Tasting room pour. Blackberries, tar, and earthiness. Full bodied and lush with a lingering finish. Excellent.

2008 vintage

Well structured, subtle blackberry and currant balanced by gentle tannins and hints of cocoa and crushed rock

2008 vintage

15.5% alcohol. This one came with a cork and a wax cap (as opposed to the signature VC screwcap). 70% syrah, 15% Mourved, 15% grenache. Dark ruby red. Very expressive red and black fruit aromas. Rasberries, black cherries and spice on the palate. Very rich, concentrated and well balanced. Lingering aftertaste. Another Cris and Jo Anne Cherry success!

2008 vintage

Are you sure?

Villa Creek, Avenger, Paso Robles

Vintages

No vintages

Community Reviews