#2 on Hi-Time's North American Reds of 2024
There are some wines from Paso Robles that are dang near impossible to get. These are small-production, high-scoring wines that only the lucky seem to find. Well... Denner's "Dirt Worshipper" Syrah is one of those wines! Planted in 1999, Denner Vineyards is a winegrowing estate on the far western border of the Paso Robles AVA. Their 156 acres press up against the Santa Lucia Range, giving the site great diversity of elevation, aspect and soil; the vineyards are planted in an East/West corridor where the marine layer can reach the inland valleys. As a result, they receive large diurnal temperature swings without high moisture pressure, creating a near perfect growing climate. The 108 acres under vine are comprised of 19 different varieties in 26 unique blocks.
Each block is farmed with painstaking attention to detail, allowing only for the best possible grapes to reach the winery. Aron Nevarez, their vineyard manager, is committed to environmentally friendly farming practices, using only sustainable inputs and minimal irrigation. Winemaker Anthony Yount has fashioned a wine that combines ripe, rich, intense fruit flavors with the peppery spice that Syrah is known for, and his wine delivers in spades!
JEB DUNNUCK 98 POINTS - "A more Syrah-dominated release, the 2021 Dirt Worshipper is textbook Syrah magic with is peppery, gamey dark fruits, iron, tapenade, sandalwood, and violet-laced aromas and flavors. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. Based on 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano, and 1% Viognier that was fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged 20 months in 25% new French and Hungarian oak, it will probably merit a triple-digit rating in 4-5 years, and I’d be happy to put this up with the best Syrahs out there."
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 96 POINTS - "The 2021 Dirt Worshipper is impossible to ignore, blending incense with dried roses, white pepper and exotic spice. This impresses with its elegance and grace, washing across the palate with silken textures and ripe red and black fruits as a wave of juicy acidity adds lift. Violet inner florals resonate throughout. It tapers off spicy and incredibly long, embraced by a coating of fine-grained tannins that tug at the senses as a resonance of clove lingers on. Simply spellbinding, this is unmistakably New World fruit, yet with an Old Word soul."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2021 Dirt Worshipper is a co-fermented blend of 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano and 1% Viognier. It comes from several California vineyards, including Duvarita, Bien Nacido, Slide Hill and Denner estate fruit. It has pretty aromas of cassis, cracked pepper, spearmint, violet and tar. The medium-bodied palate offers concentrated, mineral-driven fruit, a frame of powerful, rounded tannins and seamless freshness and a long, perfumed finish."
There are some wines from Paso Robles that are dang near impossible to get. These are small-production, high-scoring wines that only the lucky seem to find. Well... Denner's "Dirt Worshipper" Syrah is one of those wines! Planted in 1999, Denner Vineyards is a winegrowing estate on the far western border of the Paso Robles AVA. Their 156 acres press up against the Santa Lucia Range, giving the site great diversity of elevation, aspect and soil; the vineyards are planted in an East/West corridor where the marine layer can reach the inland valleys. As a result, they receive large diurnal temperature swings without high moisture pressure, creating a near perfect growing climate. The 108 acres under vine are comprised of 19 different varieties in 26 unique blocks.
Each block is farmed with painstaking attention to detail, allowing only for the best possible grapes to reach the winery. Aron Nevarez, their vineyard manager, is committed to environmentally friendly farming practices, using only sustainable inputs and minimal irrigation. Winemaker Anthony Yount has fashioned a wine that combines ripe, rich, intense fruit flavors with the peppery spice that Syrah is known for, and his wine delivers in spades!
JEB DUNNUCK 98 POINTS - "A more Syrah-dominated release, the 2021 Dirt Worshipper is textbook Syrah magic with is peppery, gamey dark fruits, iron, tapenade, sandalwood, and violet-laced aromas and flavors. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. Based on 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano, and 1% Viognier that was fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged 20 months in 25% new French and Hungarian oak, it will probably merit a triple-digit rating in 4-5 years, and I’d be happy to put this up with the best Syrahs out there."
ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 96 POINTS - "The 2021 Dirt Worshipper is impossible to ignore, blending incense with dried roses, white pepper and exotic spice. This impresses with its elegance and grace, washing across the palate with silken textures and ripe red and black fruits as a wave of juicy acidity adds lift. Violet inner florals resonate throughout. It tapers off spicy and incredibly long, embraced by a coating of fine-grained tannins that tug at the senses as a resonance of clove lingers on. Simply spellbinding, this is unmistakably New World fruit, yet with an Old Word soul."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2021 Dirt Worshipper is a co-fermented blend of 88% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano and 1% Viognier. It comes from several California vineyards, including Duvarita, Bien Nacido, Slide Hill and Denner estate fruit. It has pretty aromas of cassis, cracked pepper, spearmint, violet and tar. The medium-bodied palate offers concentrated, mineral-driven fruit, a frame of powerful, rounded tannins and seamless freshness and a long, perfumed finish."
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