The 2010 Contrarian is a striking wine. It shows pretty scents of grapefruit, lime, flowers and white peaches, with a highly attractive balance of ripeness and freshness. I especially like the energy and cut of the finish. Contrarian is a blend of 68% Grenache Blanc and 17% Picpoul Blanc, both estate, and 15% Viognier from Denner. The wine was aged mostly in fiberglass. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014.
Matt Trevisan is one of the more colorful characters in Paso Robles. His wines are equally eccentric, and show flashes of brilliance sprinkled with plenty of unexpected twists. Trevisan seems to be especially gifted with Zinfandel based blends. Like some of his colleagues, Trevisan has begun experimenting with fermenting in cement vats. I get the sense that if Trevisan were a little more focused his wines could make a significant jump in quality. I also tasted the 2009 Nemesis and Slacker from barrel just before bottling, but neither wine seemed to be showing well. I will report on those wines once I have a chance to taste them in finished form from bottle.
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