Epoch Estate Wines Authenticity Willow Creek 2020 (750ml) *
Product price
$107.99
Description
Syrah grown in the Willow Creek corner of Paso Robles, this bottling from Epoch Estate Wines draws entirely on the estate's Paderewski Vineyard. The 2020 spent 19 months in French oak, just under half of it new, a mix of barrels and puncheons that frames the fruit without overwhelming it. It sits on the fuller, more polished side of California Syrah while keeping a graceful, layered composure.
The perfume runs red, blue, and black at once, cassis and darker fruit lifted by mint and a floral top note, with warm chocolate, vanilla, and a savory streak of grilled meat and iron underneath. Expect pepper, spice, and a touch of underbrush for complexity. On the palate it's plush and generous, the tannins ripe and supple, acidity keeping everything juicy, and the finish long and savory rather than sweet. A pretty, aromatically pure wine that rewards attention.
Product Details
| Category | Wine |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Subregion | Paso Robles |
| Producer | Epoch |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Size | 750 ML |
| Subtype | Still |
Expert Reviews
Also all Syrah from the Paderewski Vineyard, the 2020 Authenticity offers more red, blue, and black fruits, and it's always a prettier, more floral wine compared to the Block B, displaying beautiful spice, pepper, and underbrush nuances. This full-bodied, graceful, layered, elegant 2020 is another one of the gems in the vintage. Epoch continues to pull heavily from their estate Paderewski Vineyard, but they’re also releasing new cuvées from their York Mountain estate as those vines come online. I expect this trend to continue. Looking at the wines reviewed here, I was able to taste all their 2020s now from bottle, and they’ve clearly produced some of the top wines in this challenging vintage. If there’s any smoke in these wines, I was unable to find it, and they have remarkable purity in their aromatics and ripe, polished tannins. I was also able to go through the 2021s with winemaker Jordan Fiorentini, and there are some legit genius wines in here that are as good as anything out there. I’d wager these 2021s are some of the finest wines produced from this estate, and I can’t wait to try them again from bottle next year. (Jeb Dunnuck, August 2023)
The 2020 Authenticity Syrah comes from the Paderewski Vineyard and was matured for 19 months in 48% new French oak barrels and puncheons. It has layered aromas of cassis, mint leaves, warm chocolate, vanilla, grilled beef and cast iron. The medium-bodied palate offers plush fruit framed by supple tannins and juicy acidity, and it has a long, savory finish. 518 cases were made. (Wine Advocate, December 2023)