**** (4.3) – Nuts & Bolts

**** (4.1) – One Hit Wonder

Notes: I’m taking a little detour into CA Central Coast Rhône varietals this month, and so far I’ve picked some real winners.

Herman Story is as hip as they come—urban photography on the label, beat poetry descriptions on the site—but don’t let the aggressive branding fool you. This is extraordinarily well-made wine, and they aren’t afraid to dip their toes into the outrageous. Who knew wine could have hints of human blood and tikka masala?

Nuts & Bolts, their beefy Syrah, is a case-in-point: upon opening, the wine tastes like metal. Iron. Running rare meat. Or the pennies you sucked on incessantly as a kid. (I should probably own up to the fact that I had pica as a wee one.)

But within twenty minutes you get fruit, too, and it really sings against that bright tang. Plum, cassis…blackberry pie? Burnt pie. Fruit pie with a crust made of leather. (There’s a lovely vegetal bouquet on the nose, too!) By the end of the hour those pennies are tasting mighty fine. The finest from Cornas has nothing on this Syrah.

One Hit Wonder (100% Mourvèdre) is less splashy but no less tasty. I decanted for 30 minutes and then started to drink. The spice is strong with this one—at various points I tasted sage, fennel seed, and coriander. (My wife got some sumac.) By the end of the hour it was reminding me of those weird chocolate bars I occasionally buy on impulse at specialty stores with flavors like curry and white pepper. The savory hints run deep, and the finish is pure plum.

Some truly exciting wines are coming out of the Paso Robles/Santa Barbara area, particularly for those who dig Northern Rhône shit. Herman Story’s offerings are among the most creative and daring.