It's been a while since I offered a domestic wine, but I was honestly struck so dumbfounded by this set of releases from Ledge Vineyards in Paso Robles that I have to share the experience. The cult wines of Paso (Saxum, Sine Qua Non, Andremily) have one thing in common. They are paradoxes of alcohol and varietal typicity. The best releases perfectly distill high fidelity varietal character out of Rhône varieties, but they build them out at uncanny alcohol levels that combine hedonistic exuberance and intellectual complexity. I can recall the thrill of tasting Jim Binn's Andremily wines for the first time and knowing I finally had a comparable offer for Saxum and Sine Qua Non drinkers who didn't want to swing for the fences price-wise. Mark Adam's Ledge Vineyards is cut from this same cloth. After having worked alongside childhood friend Justin Smith of Saxum, Ledge is achieving the same paradigm at half the price of Saxum and a fifth of the price of Sine Qua Non. The wines achieve power, weight and concentration without losing that spice and garrigue complexity for which the Rhône varieties are adored. This is a blockbuster style. If you like big Napa Valley wines, these will floor you with their intensity. If you like Rhône wines, here is something to convert your American wine drinking friends into Rhône varieties. If you already know about them, sorry for sharing your secret. I would be very surprised if we didn't see the prices for the winery's new releases double over the short to mid term. For those to whom this offer speaks, I'd advise you to get in while the going is good!
An upcoming estate I've been raving about for a few years now. The young Mark Adams, who trained under none other than Justin Smith, continues to produce brilliant, singular wines from both his estate fruit and some purchased fruit, which comes from some of the crème de la crème sites in the appellation. The estate vineyard is almost entirely own-rooted and is propagated using a massale selection from the vineyard, which was largely planted from Syrah cloned from the Bone Rock parcel in James Berry. This is a cooler, sandy site located in the Willow Creek District and the wines from here always have some old-world character, yet still speak clearly of Paso Robles. Readers looking for the next cult mailing list are advised to get on this estate's bandwagon." - Jeb Dunnuck
"Ciera and Mark Adams wines are delivering, by my estimation, some of the best bang-for-the-buck wines in Paso Robles." - Josh Raynolds, Vinous
