SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:

Today’s wine.. ROCKS! The Wine Spies put quality first, when selecting wines for our Operatives, and when we find one that deserves special recognition, we issue a special alert.

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Mission Codename: For those about to rock!

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Accompany new recruit, Agent Neutron, on a mission to locate a superior red blend from the Paso Robles region. If her pick meets our exacting criteria for quality, secure an ample quantity for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Cass Winery

Wine Subject: 2008 Rockin’ One

Winemaker: Lood Kotze

Backgrounder: Wine Spies Operatives love Rhone-style red blends whose primary composition is usually Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (sometimes referred to as a ‘GSM’). Today’s red Rhone could be called a SMG/PS as it leads off with Syrah, and ends with a nifty addition of Petite Sirah, giving the wine a fruity-richness that offsets some of the gaminess usually associated with California GSM’s. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report below for the full details on today’s great wine

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark black plum hues at with dense and nearly solid core of darkest red-black. At the edge of the glass, a fine line of purple encircles the wine. After swirling, chubby legs form high on the inside of the glass, before they run slowly downward.

Smell – Lush and heady with bold fruit of ripe blackberry, black cherry, dark plum, toasty vanilla pastry and dark blueberry. These are underpinned by more subtle aromas of stewed fig, cocoa powder, earthen red cherry, white pepper and a hint strawberry candy.

Feel – Plush and round at the tip of the tongue, the wine then glides across the mid-palate. After you swallow, a soft dryness gradually spreads around the palate, to the corners of the mouth, eventually drying cheeks and lips.

Taste – Rich and layered, with flavors of black cherry juice, blackberry juice, black plum and braised black fig in the lead. As the wine opens up, additional flavors of cassis, unsweetened licorice, white pepper and flint.

Finish -Very long and flavor-filled, dark fruit lingers as licorice, flint and pepper appear. Then, flavors all tail off slowly, leaving behind a chew feel and soft dryness that encourage another generous sip.

Conclusion – We featured our first Rockin’ One a few years ago, with the stellar 2005 vintage. True to form, Cass continues its tradition of fun and deliciocity with its flagship blend. Today’s 2008 Paso Robles Rockin’ One Estate Cuvee delivers big flavor with a fun and elegant feel. Aromatics are big and layered and the wine has great acid balance, making it a perfect companion for rich or spicy foods. We enjoyed ours with juicy lamb burgers, right off the grill. Enjoy this wine now, or cellar for a couple of years. Decant for best results and, most of all, enjoy this juicy and delicious Paso treat from our friends at Cass!

Mission Report:

AGENT RED: Hi Lood! We are thrilled to be showing your 2008 Rockin’ One today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

LOOD KOTZE: Agent Red.It is good to see you, again.

RED: Wow. Is it always this hot here in Paso Robles?

LOOD: Not quite always, but, yes, it gets hot here.

RED: What effect does that have on the grapes – and the wines that are made from them?

LOOD: It’s hard to generalize about Paso Robles, but I would say that the wines from here are deeper and more concentrated. They are very rich, intense and strongly flavored. People love Paso wines for their accessibility. I think that wines from here are more universally appealing. Paso Robles is a very unique and diverse wine region, with many micro climates and soils. It has the potential of creating world class wines. It still has the non-corporate wine culture.

RED: Tell me, Lood, who do you make wines for?

LOOD: I tend to make wines that I personally like to drink. Luckily, that happens to match up with what fans of our wines also like!

RED: Good thing. I think that left to their own devices, some winemakers would end up making wines that only they like! Tell me, what would you say is your winemaking style?

LOOD: Well, I really believe that the terroir give the quality of a wine and the winemaker just maintains the quality. Great wine really begins in great vineyards. Starting with the best fruit, I tend to allow the wine to do its own thing with minimal input.

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

LOOD: I grew up in wine country, surrounded by vineyards, and having family in the business, it was almost inevitable that I would work in the wine business.

RED: Do you ever have to tweak a wine at all?

LOOD: Of course, but always in the most subtle ways possible. Really, the vineyard does most of the work, I just take care of the wine throughout the process.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

LOOD: I’ve been influenced by every winemaker I worked for, winemaking is constant learning.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

LOOD: We are getting close to harvest season. We recently finished a couple bottlings of 09’s, and I am currently racking 2010 reds.

RED: Listen, I love Cass wines. The Rockin’ One is honestly the best Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre blend I have ever tasted.

LOOD: It is a great wine. Most blends of this style are usually reductive and austere. The Rockin’ One is way expressive and very delicious.

RED: It rocks!

LOOD: Indeed!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Cass Winery and the Rockin’ One vineyard can be seen in this satellite photo.