2009 Asuncion Ridge Salacious (GSM)

I love, love, love this wine and this vineyard. It has a very special place in my heart for a few reasons.

• It reminds me of the lovely weekend getaways that Derek and I would take in Paso Robles 

and

• It was one of the wines that peaked my interest and love for Rhone-varietals (which I'm sure I'll post about in subsequent wine raves)

A little back-story on the wine's origin. Derek and I were looking for a little weekend getaway from San Francisco and wanted to try something different from our standard (but oh so fabulous) Sonoma/Russian River wine region. Just 3-4 hours south there is this lovely under-the-radar wine region near San Luis Obispo: Paso Robles. 

We found this amazing little contemporary B&B, located atop the rolling hills of Atascadero with views of the ocean at the edge of the vast green land below. The house had three bedrooms and a common area that we could make ourselves comfortable in my watching a movie, playing games, you name it. When we arrived, 3 bottles of wine and a variety of cheeses were sitting out for us to enjoy at our leisure. The wine happened to be the same label as the place we were staying so I figured it must have been the innkeepers homemade little project.

Upon first sip I was blown away.

This was no little pet project for the innkeeper - what I was tasting as was beautiful expression of the local region - full of body and rich dark fruit flavors but with an earthy, savory undertone. 

Having tried a few years of his Pinot Noir as well as other Rhone-inspired blends, we didn't leave the B&B before signing up for his Wine Club - which we are still members of today.

That Winery: Asuncion Ridge 

The Wine that I First Fell in Love With: Salacious (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre)

Retail Price: $36
50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre
Winery Description: Blackberry, plum, cassis and golden raisins on the nose. A fruit forward and juicy full mouth feel with a soft and long finish.
Can be Found: Winery Website - I don't think he has any significant distribution at this point so either take a weekend and check out Paso (and stay in the B&B) or consider buying a few bottles - everything he makes is divine.

We had this  recently with roasted eggplant and loved how the two paired together. I think it was less of the combination of the wine and the eggplant and more of the harmony of the deep, roasted flavors with the juicy but savory wine (grown on volcanic soil). This would be great with nearly any roasted meats. Or, as with all of my favorite wines, this Salacious can be thoroughly enjoyed by itself

Cheers!