The 2015 My Favorite Neighbor blew me away from barrel, and it didn’t disappoint from bottle and is one of the all-time greats from Paso Robles with regards to Bordeaux varieties. Crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, chalky minerality and hints of espresso all flow to a full-bodied polished, ripe, downright sexy Cabernet that has terrific density as well as elegance. A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Petit Verdot, brought up all in French oak, it’s an incredible wine that readers need to taste to believe. Drink it anytime over the coming two decades. One of the leaders of the Paso wine scene is undoubtedly Eric Jensen’s Booker Vineyard (I’ve affectionately called this group the motley crew before). Jensen and his wife Lisa purchased these 72 acres in 2001, with their wines released in 2005. Since then, the wines have evolved from uber rich and forward, to today where they’re more polished, complete and structured. Looking at his 2015s, which Jensen compared to his 2010 and 2013s, they show the more elegant style of the vintage, yet pack plenty of fruit and texture. His 2016s are certainly bigger wines, yet have plenty of tannin and a focused style on the palate which I suspect will benefit from short term cellaring. In addition to his Rhône variety releases and blends, it’s worth pointing out the quality coming from his Cabernet Sauvignons as well. These are seriously good wines!

This is the first vintage of this wine with no Syrah in the blend. Blended of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Petit Verdot, the 2015 My Favorite Neighbor Proprietary Blend sports a deep garnet-purple color and is scented of fresh, ripe black currants, black berries and preserved plums with hints of menthol, violets, cigar box and wild thyme. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a great core of ripe, bright, seductive black fruits supported by firm, fine-grained tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Mind-blowing. 500 cases were made.