Robert Parker's Wine Advocate #196
Antonio Galloni
August 2009
I was very impressed with the wines I tasted from Terry Hoage. The wines are all made from estate owned fruit and see no racking until bottling, which is done without fining or filtration. The vineyards are all dry and organically farmed. Winemaking remains deeply influenced by Saxum's Justin Smith, who made the first two vintages for Terry and Jennifer Hoage. Terry Hoage Vineyards is yet another of the small, artisan wineries in Paso Robles with seemingly limitless upside potential.
- Antonio Galloni
2009 The GAP
Rating: 90 Drink: 2011 – 2013
The 2009 The Gap Cuvee Blanc is a beautifully layered wine laced with white peaches, flowers and minerals. The aromas and flavors come together nicely in this crisp, vibrant white. The blend is 59% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussanne and 16% Picpoul Blanc aged eight months in French Oak barrels, 40% new. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2013.
2008 The 46
Rating: 93 Drink: 2011 – 2018
The 2008 Grenache-Syrah The 46 shows off well-articulated aromatics, vibrant fruit, and gorgeous overall balance. Sweet cherries, mint, licorice and minerals are some of the notes that emerged from this vibrant red. A polished, sleek finish rounds things out in style. This is one of the more restrained, finessed Rhone blends coming out of Paso Robles. The 46 is a 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah that spent 20 months in French oak barrels, 35-40% new. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2018.
2008 Five Blocks
Rating: 93 Drink: 2013 – 2018
The 2008 5 Blocks Cuvee is another juicy red bursting with flavor. It shows off plums, black cherries, flowers and minerals in a juicy, highly engaging style. The 5 Blocks Cuvee is 59% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre and 8% Cinsault that spent 20 months in French oak barrels, 45% new. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018.
2008 The hedge
Rating: 92 Drink: 2013 – 2018
The 2008 Syrah The Hedge is the darkest of these offerings. A deep, dense core of blue and black fruit caresses the palate in this generous, fleshy red. As outstanding as this is, the estate's blends seem to be more interesting than the pure Syrah. Hoage gave The Hedge 20 months in French oak barrels, 55-60% new. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018.
Wine Spectator Insider
Vol. 7 No. 20 | May 18, 2011
2008 The Hedge
95 Points
Serves up a potent mix of complex flavors built around roasted herb, game meat, wild berry, blueberry and blackberry. Full-bodied, elegant and supple-textured, gaining depth and velocity on the finish, where the flavors are both expansive and delicate. Drink now through 2019. -J.L.
2008 5 Blocks
93 Points
Pure, clean, ripe and grapey aromas gain depth and complexity, with tiers of juicy black cherry, wild berry, plum and floral scents. Full-bodied and supple in texture, with a long, soothing finish. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault. Drink now through 2018. -J.L.
Wine Spectator
November 30, 2011
2008 The 46
Rating 92
Combines pure, ripe plum, black cherry and strawberry jam flavors with firm, flexing tannins, offering a mix of complex fruit with backbone and tannic structure. Ends with mineral, lead pencil and cedar notes. Drink now through 2020
California Grapevine
October-November 2011 Newsletter
2008 THE 46
Medium-dark ruby; attractive, forward, intense, peppery, deep, blackberry and currant aroma with hints of cocoa powder and graphite; full body; big, forward, rich, very ripe and extracted, dark currant and blackberry fruit flavors with notes of black pepper and chocolate, and a full, slightly creamy mouthfeel; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended. Sold only in their tasting room in Paso Robles. %15.8 alcohol; 150 cases; a blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah; released March 2011. (Group Score: 16.4, 4/3/0; My Score: 17 [92/100], first place)
2009 THE Gap
Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, floral, complex, honeyed, peach and melon aroma with a hint of guava and notes of minerality; medium-full to full body; tight, green apple and peach flavors with firm acidity and light oaky overtones; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended. Well suited for some bottle aging. Sold Only at their winery in Paso Robles. 14% alcohol; 150 cases; a blend of 59% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussane, and 16% Picpoul Blanc; 0% BF; 28% ML; released March 2011. (Group Score: 16.1, 1/2/1; My Score: 17 [91/100], second place)
California Grapevine
Vol. 37 No. 2 | April-May 2011
2008 5 Blocks
Medium to medium-dark ruby color; attractive, forward, intense, spicy, very ripe cherry and dark berry fruit aroma with notes of smoked meat, black pepper, mocha, cinnamon and tobacco; full body; big, very rich, plummy, layered, very ripe, dark berry fruit flavors with a creamy mouthfeel; medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very appealing to taste the plummy rich fruit though the wine is deserving of a few more years of bottle aging as it continues to develop and evolve. Very highly recommended. 15.4% alcohol; 280 cases; a blend of 59% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre, and 8% Cinsault; released March 2011. (Group score: 16.5 of 20 points, 2 of 12 first place votes/6 seconds/2 thirds; My score: 17 [91 out of 100 points], third place)
Wine Spectator
Talent Show
MaryAnn Worobiec
March 31, 2011
A New Playbook
In 2000, former NFL defensive back Terry Hoage and his wife, Jennifer, moved to Paso Robles – a region they hadn’t heard of before a friend pointed them to the area – to raise their two children in a rural setting. They bought a 10-acre property with plans to build a house, and intended to plant grapes out front as landscaping.
Then one night, Hoage was at Villa Creek restaurant and began talking with restaurant owner (and vintner) Chris Cherry. Cherry introduced him to another patron, Eric Jensen of Booker. The vineyard plans started to grow.
Hoage planted 6 acres, working the land himself, and loved it. He befriended Justin Smith, who gave him valuable advice. Two years later, Smith showed the Hoages another property that he said was capable of making world-class wines. They seized the opportunity, sold the original site, and focused on the new land and its 17 acres of grapes.
Smith helped with the vineyard planting and winemaking, but by 2004, the Hoages were on their own. “A lot of people think we just put a lot of football money into [this project], but that’s not true,” says Hoage. With a degree in genetics, Hoage didn’t find the science of grapegrowing or winemaking intimidating. The couple starting looking at wines differently, deconstructing them and defining what they wanted. “Balance, texture and structure are most important,” explains Jennifer.
Their dream for a grounded life for their family meshed well with owning a vineyard and making their own wine. They live among the vines and built a winery in 2005. The focus is entirely on Rhone varietals, detailed wines with names that play on terms from wine and football.
“I didn’t know this word existed before I was in it, but we consider ourselves vignerons,” says Terry. “We live here, this is what we do.”
91 2007 Skins
90 2007 The Hedge
90 2007 The Pick
Wine Spectator Tasting Highlights
12 California Whites for $40 or Less
MaryAnn Worobiec
February 28, 2011
2009 The Gap
Score: 90
This displays terrific aromatics, with pretty, perfumed notes of honeysuckle, peach, Asian pear and apple blossom. A graceful texture, and wonderful details of toasted spices and cedar, highlight the finish. Grenache Blanc, Roussane and Picpoul Blanc. Drink now through 2016. 150 cases made. -MW
California Grapevine
Rhone Style Blends New Releases
Aug-Sept 2010 | Vol 36 No 2
2007 The Pick
Medium-dark purplish ruby color; attractive, forward, intense, toasty, cranberry and blackberry jam aroma with hints of vanilla and white pepper; full body; forward, rich, textured, concentrated, cedary, jammy, mouth-filling, dark cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with earthy notes and hints of smoked meat; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Shows intense fruit with well-balanced acidity. Very approachable now and also worthy of several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended. 15.1% alcohol; 310 cases; a blend of 54% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, and 8% Counoise; released November 2009. (Group score: 16.7 out of 20 points, 5 of 11 first-place votes/4 seconds/1 third; My score: 17 [92 out of 100 points], first place)
2007 5 Blocks
Medium-dark purplish ruby; attractive, forward, intense, jammy, ripe black fruit aroma with meaty, peppery notes; full body; rich, concentrated, extracted, spicy, cedary, blackberry fruit flavors with hints of dried herbs and black pepper; medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Can use a few more years of bottle aging although very yummy now. Very highly recommended. 15.5% alcohol; 365 cases; a blend of 62% Syrah, 19% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, and 6% Cinsault; released November 2009. (Group score: 16.4, 0/1/5; My score: 17 [91/100], third place)
California Grapevine
Grenache New Releases
Aug-Sept 2010 | Vol 36 No 4
2007 Skins
Medium-dark ruby; attractive, forward, rich, intense, concentrated, ripe raspberry fruit aroma; full body; big, rich, intense, plummy, mouth-filling, ripe cherry and red berry fruit flavors with good depth and a hint of milk chocolate; medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended. 15.4% alcohol; 315 cases; blended with 10% Syrah; released November 2009. (Group score: 16.3, 2/2/2; My score: 17 [90/100], second place)
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate #190
August 2010
2007 The 46
Rating: 93 Drink: 2010 – 2020
The 2007 The 46 is a blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah. Blackberry, charcoal, incense, and Acacia flower aromas are followed by an exceptionally dense, opulent wine with superb purity, a brilliant, multilayered texture, and a long finish. Already a challenge to resist, it is capable of lasting 8-10 years.
From a serious producer in Paso Robles, these five outstanding reds all merit considerable interest.
- Robert Parker
2007 The Pick
Rating: 91 Drink: 2010 – 2015
The 2007 The Pick (a blend of 54% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, and 8 % Counoise) is a complex, Cotes du Rhone-like offering displaying plenty of strawberry and cherry jam notes intermixed with notions of pepper, garrigue, and spice box. It is a beautiful, fruit-laden, lush, full-bodied hedonistic as well as intellectual turn-on to enjoy over the next 4-5 years.
- Robert Parker
2007 Skins
Rating: 91 Drink: 2010 – 2014
The 2007 Skins (90% Grenache and 10% Syrah) is a beauty. Kirsch liqueur, licorice, sandy, loamy soil, and spice box notes are all present in this dark ruby-hued wine. It possesses good acids, but the overall impression is one of succulence, fleshy, and medium to full-bodied opulence presented in a richly satisfying, multidimensional style. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.
- Robert Parker
2007 The Hedge
Rating: 90 Drink: 2011 – 2021
The outstanding 2007 The Hedge (Syrah) exhibits a dense purple color in addition to notes of camphor, smoke, black currants, licorice, and asphalt. The most backward of this group, it reveals more new oak and tannic structure than its siblings, and may turn out to be the longest-lived. Deep, rich, and somewhat unevolved, it will benefit from another year of cellaring, and should evolve for at least a decade.
- Robert Parker
2007 5 Blocks
Rating: 92 Drink: 2010 – 2016
The 2007 5 Blocks is composed of 62% Syrah, 19% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, and 6% Cinsault. It reveals a more earthy, smoky, gamy nose that leads to Asian spices and jus de viande as well as abundant black currant and black cherry fruit. This deep, complex, full-bodied, opulent 2007 is best drunk over the next 5-6 years.
- Robert Parker
Wine Spectator
11 Intriguing California Reds
James Laube
October 26, 2009
2007 Skins
Score: 91
Serves up a tasty mix of dark berry fruit, with vivid huckleberry, boysenberry and wild berry flavors that are pure, rich and full-bodied, ending with a long, fruity finish. Drink now through 2015. 315 cases made. -JL
2007 The Pick
Score: 90
Firm and spicy, with full-bodied sour cherry, mineral, sage and cedar notes that end with chewy tannins. Complex and concentrated, this is best decanted or given cellar time. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Counoise. Drink now through 2016. 310 cases made. -JL
2007 The Hedge
Score: 90
Rich, generous ripe plum, black cherry, spice and meaty Syrah flavors form a tight core of fruit, full-bodied, with hints of anise and pencil shavings, ending with a spicy edge. Drink now through 2017. 405 cases made. -JL
California Grapevine
Rhone-Style Blends New Releases
Aug-Sept 2009 | Vol 35 No 4
2007 The 46
Medium-dark to dark purplish ruby, attractive, forward, intense, plummy, very ripe, black raspberry and black cherry fruit aroma with overtones of sweet oak; full body; forward, rich, intense, concentrated, plummy, mouth-filling, blueberry and other dark berry fruit flavors; full, relatively soft tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended. The name “The 46” refers to the refers to the 4-6 defense Hoage played as a defensive back under Buddy Ryan for the Philadelphia Eagles and also after the Highway 46 grape growing corridor in Paso Robles. 14.9% alc, 485 cases, a blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah; released October 2009.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate #184
August 2009
2006 The Pick
Rating: 90 Drink: 2009 – 2015
The 2006 the Pick, a blend of 55% Grenache, 28% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and 6% Counoise, is also outstanding. It seems to come closer in style to the 46 than it does the Five Blocks cuvee. Dense ruby/purple with plenty of black cherry and black currant fruit as well as a bit of licorice, tar, and spice box, the wine is rich, full-bodied, and again, pure and supple enough to be drunk now or cellared for 5-6 years.
- Robert Parker
2006 The 46
Rating: 90 Drink: 2009 – 2016
The 2006 The 46, equal parts Grenache and Syrah, is dominated by sexy, lush kirsch liqueur and black currant fruit with hints of tar, pepper, and floral notes. The wine is layered, dense, not quite as spicy as the Five Blocks, but more dark fruit-dominated, and impressively textured and long. It should drink nicely for 5-7 years.
- Robert Parker
2006 5 Blocks
Rating: 90 Drink: 2009 – 2013
The outstanding 2006 Five Blocks, a blend of 57% Syrah, 29% Grenache, and the rest Mourvedre and Cinsault, is a beautiful southern France lookalike. Lavender, black raspberry, kirsch, pepper, and spice are all front-end loaded into this seriously endowed, Cote du Rhone-like wine. Medium to full-bodied, it offers great individuality, loads of pleasure, and is best drunk over the next 3-4 years. This is the kind of wine the Central Coast should be producing more, an intriguing blend that is both hedonistically and intellectually pleasing.
- Robert Parker
California Grapevine
Dec-Jan 2008/2009 | Vol 35 No 6
2006 The Hedge
Medium-dark ruby color; attractive, forward, cedary, spicy, peppery, dark berry fruit aroma with hints of dill and roasted coffee; full body; big, forward, rich, concentrated, textured, toasty, peppery, very ripe blackberry fruit flavors with good depth and a velvety mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Shows precocious, very rich, intense fruit that’s appealing to taste in its youth. Very highly recommended. 15.5% alcohol; 450 cases; 100% Syrah; released October 2008. (Group Score: 16.5 out of 20 points, 6 of 11 first place votes/5 second/0 thirds; My score: 17 [90 of 100 points], first place)
2006 SKINS
Medium-dark to dark ruby color; attractive, forward, intense, herbal, cedar, red berry and dried cherry fruit aroma; full body; forward, rich, plush, concentrated, very ripe black raspberry fruit flavors with a creamy mouthfeel; meduim-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Shows forward, precocious fruit. Very highly recommended. 15.6% alcohol; 340 cases; blending with 10% Syrah; released May 2008. (Group Score: 16.4 out of 20 points, 6 of 11 first place votes/1 second/1 third; My score: 17 [91 of 100 points], first place)
Wine Spectator
Insider
Marvin R. Shanken
Vol. 4 No. 46 | November 19, 2008
2006 The 46
92 points
Serves up lots of dark fruit flavors, built around full-bodied blackberry, black cherry and boysenberry fruit that’s pure and focused, ending with a long, complex finish. Drink now through 2013. -JL
Wine Spectator
Promising New Producers
MaryAnn Worobiec
March 31, 2008
Terry Hoage is a former NFL defensive back who played for 13 seasons and six teams. In 2002, Hoage and his wife, Jennifer, bought a 26-acre ranch in Paso Robles, with 18 acres planted to Grenache and Syrah. At first, they set aside grapes to make a hobby wine, just three barrels’ worth in 2002. But by the 2005 vintage, they were keeping all the grapes to themselves and had built their own winery; and in 2007, they crushed 2,200 cases worth of wine. Their bottling names play on terms from both wine and football: The Hedge refers to a pruning technique as well as a feature of the stadium at the University of Georgia, Hoage’s alma mater, and The 46 is a tribute to the 4-6 defense of Hoage’s former coach Buddy Ryan.
92 2005 The Hedge
91 2005 The 46
Wine Spectator Online
Tasting Highlights: California Rhones, Part 2
James Laube
December 17, 2007
2005 The 46
Score: 91
Velvety tannins and good acidity give a juiciness to the kirsch, ripe plum, mineral and spice notes. Intense, with a long, lingering finish and grace notes of bittersweet chocolate. 440 cases produced. Drink now through 2012. -JL
2005 The Hedge
Score: 92
Tight and firm, with rich, concentrated wild berry, spice, pepper and dried currant fruit that keeps its focus, ending with excellent structure and length. 750 cases produced. Best from 2009 through 2012. -JL
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate #172
August 2007
2005 The Pick
Rating: 91 Drink: 2007 - 2013
The 2005 The Pick, a blend of 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 17% Mourvedre, and 8% Counoise, could easily pass for a French Chateauneuf du Pape. Earthy, peppery, roasted Provencal herb, black cherry, and raspberry aromas jump from the glass of this complex red. It is medium to full-bodied, powerful, rich, supple and luscious. Consume it over the next 5-6 years.
- Robert Parker
2005 The 46
Rating: 90 Drink: 2007-2013
A blend of equal parts Grenache and Syrah, the 2005 The 46 is more opulent and fleshy, displaying a deeper ruby/purple color as well as attractive notes of blackberries, cassis, pepper, tar, and spice. This lush, heady 2005 is best drunk over the next 5-6 years.
- Robert Parker
2005 The Hedge
Rating: 91 Drink: 2007-2013
An impressive offering is the 2005 Syrah The Hedge. Its dense ruby/purple hue is accompanied by abundant quantities of cassis, blackberries, licorice, smoke, and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, deep, and pure with a voluptuous texture, velvety tannins, and low acidity, it should drink well over the next 5-6 years.
- Robert Parker
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