BOOKER PERL PASO ROBLES 750ML 2021

The 2021 Perl is the second iteration of this SKU from Booker. It's made with purchased fruit blended from across the entire Paso Robles region. Director of Winemaking Peter Turrone says this wine will be more widely available than the single-vineyard expressions from Booker. It's a blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Grenache matured for 20 months in 50% new French oak. It opens with some rubbery tones that take plenty of time to give way to blueberry, violet, peppercorn and aniseed. The full-bodied palate has ripe, dense fruit at this early stage, framed by grainy tannins and just enough freshness to highlight floral perfume on the finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years in bottle to unwind. 3,800 cases produced.

The 2021 Perl, a blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Grenache from sourced fruit, wafts up from the glass with a dark and moody blend of crushed blackberries and dark chocolate complicated by flowery underbrush and hints of camphor. For all of its dark depths, this shows tremendous energy within. Zesty acidity enlivens a core of red and black fruits, underscored by tactile mineral tones and the onset of grippy tannins. A bitter blackberry resonance lingers on as the 2021 finishes structured and long, slowly tapering off with a pleasantly chewy sensation. In just its second vintage, the Perl is really strutting its stuff.

This Syrah-dominant blend gives very dark, ripe compote fruit. Tannins and fruit concentration make up the backbone of this wine, hearkening to its ageability.