Tag: Justin

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Justin Cabernet Sauvignon

Justin Cabernet SauvignonJustin Baldwin founded his eponymous winery in Paso Robles, California, in 1981 on 160 acres.  His vision was to make world-class Bordeaux-style blends.   Befitting such ambition, The winery is invested in the French idea of terroir, that a wine must reflect its place, especially soil and climate.

Justin’s soil is largely fossilized limestone from eons of marine deposit. The limestone stresses the vines, producing grapes that, ideally, completely express their varietal character.

Paso Robles’ distinctive microclimate offers the widest day to night temperature swings of any grape-growing region in California. The hot days allow the grapes to develop intense flavor, while the cool nights create structure and balance.

Justin combines traditional Old World methods—like hand-harvesting and small-barrel aging in French oak—with New World technology.

Justin’s offerings include Bordeaux-style blends, of course, and other red blends.  These are joined by single varietal (or nearly so) Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Viognier.   At the top of the range is the famous Isosceles, their flagship wine (and a registered trademark).  Reflecting Isosceles’ prominence, much of Justin’s branding, marketing, and naming play off the right-angle triangle theme.

The Founder’s Vineyard

In addition to the Founder’s Vineyard, Justin also farms the Adelaida Road Vineyard, one of the highest in the Paso Robles AVA; the Creston Road Vineyard, located in the Templeton Gap that enjoys cooling breezes from the Pacific; and the steeply-sloped DeBro Vineyard that sits on a variety of soil types.

There is also an inn and restaurant on the property.

Billionaire Stewart Resnick bought Justin Vineyards and Winery in late 2010.  Resnick also controls Fiji Water, Pom Wonderful, and Teleflora.  Resnick also owns the Sonoma County wineries Landmark and Hop Kiln.

Justin Baldwin is still casually involved with the winery, but the winemaking falls to Napa Valley veteran Scott Shirley, who has maintained and even expanded Justin’s quality and reputation.  Justin was named the 2015 American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Justin Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is purple-ruby in the glass.  It features aromas of ripe black and red cherry.  Flavors of black currant abound on the palate, with cocoa and a hint of dust.  The wine is full-bodied and dry, with a moderately long finish. There is a mild acidity and balanced tannins. It was barrel aged for 13 months in American oak (25% new) and has an ABV of 14.5%.

Enjoy this wine with Spencer Steaks with Red-wine Shiitake Sauce, Pork Chops in Balsamic Cherry Sauce, or East-West Barbecued Chicken.

Justin Wine

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Justin Vineyards and Winery

Justin Vineyards and WineryJustin Time

Justin Vineyards and Winery is located in Paso Robles in California’s Central Coast region. William Randolph Hearst’s famous “castle,” San Simeon, is due west over the Sierra Madre mountains.

Justin was founded in 1981 by Justin Baldwin when he planted the 160-acre property with the major grapes of Bordeaux, and the emphasis on Bordeaux-style blends and single varietals remains to this day. In addition to the estate vineyard, Justin sources grapes from thirteen affiliated growers in the area.

The winery’s three prime areas of focus are: a “left bank” Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, named Isosceles, Justin’s flagship and most well-known offering; Justification, its “right bank” Merlot and Cabernet Franc cousin; and varietal bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. They also produce limited amounts of Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Port, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Viognier.

For these varietals, each year Justin commissions a different artist to execute the art portion of the label. The winery buildings and their surrounding vineyards are always the subject matter, the idea being that the artists’ interpretation of the winery is like the winemaker’s interpretation of the vineyard’s grapes.

In addition to the tasting room, there is also an inn and restaurant on the property.

Sauvignon Blanc 2010

This unoaked wine spent five and a half months in stainless steel before bottling. It is almost colorless, with hints of pale straw and delicate green.
The nose offers aromas of fresh peach, citrus notes dominated by ruby grapefruit, and a hint of coconut.

On the palate the wine is dry, with bright acidity, and some of the peach flavor carries over from the nose. The body has very good structure for a sauvignon blanc.

Pair this wine with Rosemary-Lemon Chicken, Crab and Shrimp Etouffee, or Broiled Scallops.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

After a balanced growing season and unchallenging harvest, Justin’s ‘09 Cabernet was matured for 16 months in French and American oak, 33% of it new.

In the glass, this wine is a not-quite opaque ruby red. It features aromas of black fruits, with a vanilla note from the oak. Surprisingly, there were almost no legs.

Its taste offers up red and black cherries and red currents, although the fruit is somewhat recessive, and is reflective of Justin’s preference for an old-world style, rather than what one might usually expect from the Central Coast. The wine is nicely tannic, with a medium finish.

This food-friendly wine would work well with Yankee Pot Roast, Creole Pork Chops, or Chicken Cacciatore.

https://justinwine.com/

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