Wine Advocate
byJeb Dunnuckthe8/31/2015
The estate's entry-level wine that's always based on Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, the 2013 Optimus offers lots of graphite, earth and peppery herbs to go with tons of red and black fruit characteristics. A full-bodied, rich and layered red that epitomizes Paso Robles, it has beautiful freshness, a silky texture and a great finish. Drink it anytime over the coming decade.
While the 2013s are small step back from Stephan’s insanely good 2012s, they’re still near the top of the hierarchy in Paso Robles. I tasted the 2014s from barrel and they might just rival the 2012s.