2017 Broadside Cabernet

Stephy Terrizzi is the kinda mom who, when you enter her winery’s’ tasting room, swears about selling her daughters’ Girl Scout cookies.

She is also one of Paso Robles’ most respected viticulturists, a grape whisperer among the vines, a woman who not only possesses a magical green organic thumb, but also knows how to use it.  You can stand, as I have, in side-by-side vineyards, one farmed by Stephy, one farmed traditionally.  Stephy’s will be the picturesque romantic magazine scene you expect – lush, green, bees busy fertilizing the vineyard and flowers and ladybugs keeping out harmful pests.  The other side will be Paso’s Mars orange scorched dirt with lignated vines scraggling up from their graves.

Sit in one of Paso Robles’ many tasting rooms and observe: The millionaire movie star who comes up from L.A. with an aggressive tasting schedule and drinks over their heart’s content and on the fly buys a vineyard.  Or the Silicon Valley billionaire strangely taking a break from virtual reality only to discover that the reality of wine drinking is fun.  And after a night of unremembered reality, realize they’ve bought a winery.  And who do they call for help with their newfound “hobbies”?

This is a true story – there isn’t a week that goes by that Stephy doesn’t get one of these calls: “Last night I drank too much, bought a vineyard, and I want to make Cabernet.  96-100 points Cabernet that I’m going to sell exclusively to my friends at $175 a bottle.”  And while some of these newfound investors may have morning-after regrets, many do go through with it, and that is where Stephy comes in.

But lo, apparently billionaires don’t have enough actual friends no matter how many likes they get – all these $175, 96-point Cabernets, don’t always sell. The bigger the ego, the harder the fall, and no billionaire wants their vanity tarnished, let alone tarnished by their own vanity wine.  Hence this generous amount of well tended, carefully crafted grapes that have had the luxury treatment of all that money could buy to make them the best of the best are looking for a happy home.  And that home is Stephy’s  Broadside Cabernet:

Broadside offers up a seriously concentrated Cabernet experience of blackberries, cassis, and toasty oak with hints of sweet tobacco, vanilla and cigar box.  The palate has no lack of fruit, but it also maintains an elegant balance: Yes, it’s a great cocktail but it also will pair well with food.  It’s a thoroughbred  Cabernet, built and tasting utterly impressive.  Perhaps your wine buddies disdain Paso Cabernet in favor of Napa Valley?  Serve them this blind.  Here is a Cabernet that’s going to knock their socks off and toot their horns – stacked, packed and immensely delicious.

And it pairs well with Girl Scout cookies.  Cheers!