Linne Colado means calcium rich limestone.
Linne Colado story: owner/winemaker Matt is a long-timer in Paso Robles. His freshman year the friends he made were the kids of Paso winemakers at that time there were only about 20 to 30, so it really was a small community. He’d spend his summers helping out at these vineyards. One was the James Berry Vineyard over at Saxon. When he first starting to get into wine, a first goal was really to figure out how to blend his Zinfandel.
The Wines:
1. Contrarian is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Picpoul, aged and concrete which provides what oak does by allowing some oxidation and good ML on it but not oak flavors. The only WHITE they make; Contrarian because Matt likes reds, but his wife Maureen wanted one. Creamy, acid bright but the heavy weight and sweet flavors make the acid not overpowering. We bought this bottle to fit in our final case space.
2. Sticks & Stones. Is also aged in concrete tank but then moved to French oak, typically about 18 to 20 months. Very nice balance easy patio sipper with a lot of layers.
3. Rising Tides was just released, representing the health of the vineyard. Matt’s blocks are relatively small in compared to others with larger vineyards. Only Grenache and Syrah. About 1500 gallons. Still get those structural components but you get not much oak flavor. The flavor profile to me is nice light tannins with a nice fruit. Cherry, raspberry but little hints of black currant.
4. Nemesis – Syrah predominant, grown in the most sun exposed area. Sees the most French new oak, 40%, but that’s a lot for his recipe and approach. The grippy tans come across but a lot of raspberry. Good fruit nice flavors integrated beautiful there isn’t anything hitting in a negative way but it’s a bigger power taste of fruit.
5. Cherry Red, Matt was learning how to farm his own Zinfandel, he worked with Elmer Cherry who taught him to use head trained Zinfandel. When he passed away the family gifted Matt those two and a half acres, so they make the cherry red every year, Zinfandel and about five plants of Chenin Blanc co-fermented in the field. Really like the cherry red and would definitely buy it, but had no room left in the case. Future
In fact I would buy all these wines and I understand that they come to Ohio through the distributor Tremonte when allocations return to wholesalers for our State.
Didn’t give a ‘industry discount’ unless we worked at a winery. One of the only ones.
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