There are some weeks when the universe just does not cooperate. This was one of those. At the start of the week I caught some bug that left me bed ridden for two days. And even after that it took till today to feel as energized as I normally do. So today being a breakout day we celebrated with a little home-made shrimp, carmelized onion, turkey bacon and avocado pizza and today’s wonderful little wine. Do we need reasons to celebrate? No, mostly the mere fact that we can celebrate is cause enough for celebration. Translation: we need very little encouragement.
When I was in Paso Robles last year, it was getting toward the end of my second day there and I asked around for a couple of recommendations for artisanal wineries to check out. This led me to the tasting room that Kenneth Volk and Lone Madrone share with each other. If you love to try different unblended varietals (as I do) Kenneth Volk is the place for you. His web site offers little hint of the number of varietals on offer in the tasting room.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to meet Mr. Volk, who used to be the founder and winemaker at Wild Horse before he sold out to corporate America in 2003. But that was a long time ago. What he is doing today is– aw heck, I can’t do a better job than he does at describing who he is and what he does:
“Don’t let the calligraphy scare you away, it’s still me, the artist previously known with the horse label. It’s a rare opportunity to reinvent oneself in the wine industry, but that’s what I’m doing. My previous industry job left me with a silver spoon in my mouth, which I’ve melted down and have been spending my time fixing up my new winery and launching my family namesake brand, smaller, better and slower.”
Artist… smaller… better… slower…. He’s got all the buzz words that I, as a wine consumer, look for. And he’s putting his name on the bottles.
Kenneth Volk Vineyards Mourvedre Enz Vineyard 2007. The Enz Vineyard is located in the Lime Kiln Valley AVA in San Benito County. So, strictly speaking, this is not a Paso wine. According to Wikipedia, the soil in the region is composed of foundations of limestone and dolomite with sandy, gravelly loam above. As of 2008, the only vineyards in the Lime Kiln Valley AVA are owned by the Enz Family. There are 40 acres of vineyards, including a 15 acre parcel of head-trained Mourvedre that was originally planted in 1922.
As for the wine itself: Hints of cedar and herbs on the nose. Silky on the palate with a sour cherry component. Distinctively feminine and distinctively terroir driven. Why did I only buy one of these? Why? Rated **1/2
sybaritesauvage 
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