Villa Creek Cherry House Red 2018

Sale $24.99

Buy Three or more pay $21.99

92 pts Wine Enthusiast / 91 pts Vinous

Paso Robles is on the rise, and perhaps no winery more so than Villa Creek. With a bevy of 94-97 pt reviews from Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate and Vinous, the wines are becoming increasingly hard to find. Even for the winemaker… you want to drink a bottle and it is all sold out… what do you do?

For winemaker/owner Cris Cherry the answer was easy – make a “house wine”! (I wish I had it that easy!)

For his personal blend, Cris sources from the same vineyards used to make his 93-96 pt rated 2018 Villa Creek wines, utilizing 50% Grenache / 40% Carignan / 10% Mourvedre.

And what great vineyards these are! You see, Villa Creek is located as far west in the Paso Robles region as you can get. Just north of Santa Lucia. This area is unique because it contains California’s largest layer of exposed limestone. Limestone (aka “white gold”) is the not-so-secret ingredient in the world’s best wines – soils high in limestone allow for vibrant acidity and freshness, even when the grapes are ripe and luscious.

Okay… enough education… what’s the wine like?

The wine explodes from the glass with aromas of red cherries, raspberries and cranberries, leading into flavors of the same, along with hints of anise and subtle floral notes. Carignan adds a whiff of baking spices on the finely tannic finish. All throughout, there is a bright core of acidity that keeps it eminently balanced and more than a little bit drinkable. (For stat geeks like me, the total acidity is 6.5 g/L and the PH is 3.35! That’s some solid acidity to balance out the 14.9% alcohol)

Food pairing? Well, it’s a “house red”, so it is designed to go with a wide range of foods, the kind of things you make from memory with little preparation or work; hamburgers, lamb chops on the grill, ribs… bbq takeout? Sure!

“Deep ruby. Spice-accented cherry and red berries on the perfumed nose, which acquires succulent herb and floral nuances with air. Smooth and appealingly sweet, offering juicy black raspberry, cherry and spice-cake flavors that show good depth and back-end lift. Finishes silky and quite long, with harmonious tannins and lingering spiciness. “ Vinous

“Soft aromas of polished red cherry, licorice, red flowers and wet gravel show on the nose of this new offering from proprietor Cris Cherry. The core of dark-red fruits are lifted by carnation and rose flavors, with firm tannins and a light licorice pop on the finish.” WE


Or reply. The wine will be available Wednesday in Chapel Hill. Thursday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.