Booker Vineyard The Ripper 24months,Paso Robles, USA

布克撕裂者干紅葡萄酒（24個月橡木桶陳釀）

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：1740

The 2012 The Ripper 24 release is slightly more evolved, and in this case, I think the earlier bottling is the better wine. Nevertheless, this is still an awesome effort that gives up loads of sweet spice, graphite, licorice, dried flowers and cured meats to go with a full-bodied, sexy, seamless style on the palate. It should be ready to go on release and also have upward of a decade of longevity. Created in 2005, owner/winemaker Eric Jenson has pushed Booker Vineyard into the top 2-3 estates in the region. While the defining trait in the past was sheer richness and texture, I think the wines today show more complete profiles, with beautiful mid-palate density, fabulous purity of fruit and sound underlying tannic structure, all while not giving up on the core of awesome fruit and texture that makes this region so special. Looking at the wines reviewed here, there are two releases of most cuvees, with the traditional bottling seeing 18 months in oak, and the “24” release seeing 24 months in barrel prior to bottling. For the most part, these extended-age releases show a tad more concentration and texture, but not always, and the two releases are more similar than not. Looking at the two vintages covered here, the 2012s are distinctly more fresh and lively than past vintages, and they show the supple, pure character of the vintage. The 2013s have additional depth and richness, and are even better! Due to the drought (and low-yielding water wells), yields here are always minuscule. This lack of moisture also contributes to stunted canopy development, which causes even further crop loss due to sunburn and raisining. Starting in 2012, Eric has used a shade cloth to mitigate this, and he continues to experiment with varying degrees of coverage. Moving to the 2013s, this is a brilliant vintage here and in general, these should surpass the 2012s (which were no slouches). These wines are highly recommended and I think the best are yet to come. Tel. (805) 237-7367; www.bookerwines.com

The 2008 The Ripper ‘24’ (Grenache) is a stunning, gorgeous wine layered with red fruit, sweet tobacco and flowers. It shows fabulous depth as the aromas and flavors build towards the huge finish. This is an impressive showing. The Ripper was aged in French oak demi-muids, 20% new. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. Eric Jensen left behind a successful career as a concert promoter for a simpler life in Paso Robles, and the wine world is much richer for it. Jensen and his wife Lisa originally bought their property with the intent of growing and selling fruit but quickly caught the bug to make their own wines, which they did starting in 2005. Booker Vineyard is a fascinating property with a number of steep hillside exposures. The Jensens have had some of the best mentors one could hope for, including Justin Smith and Stephan Asseo. I tasted a wide number of wines during my visit, including a handful of the late-release ‘24’ series, which as the name implies, spent 24 months in barrel rather than the more customary 18. Winemaking is quite stripped down to the basics. The wines are fermented with ambient yeasts then go into barrel with their gross lees. Malo is done naturally. The blends are finished post-malo and the wines are bottled with no fining or filtration. Tel. (805) 237-7367; www.bookerwines.com