I was thrilled with the 2010 Garnacha, which is easily one of the highlights among these new releases from Villa Creek. Firm yet silky tannins support layers of expressive red fruit in this strikingly beautiful, resonant wine. All the elements are in the right place. Layers of fruit fill out on the resonant, rich finish. This is the first vintage in which Cris Cherry experimented with carbonic maceration, which he used for about 50% of the wine, mostly done with whole clusters, before moving the wine into neutral barrels. The rest of the wine was fermented in steel and aged in neutral oak. For those who want to skip the technicalities, the wine is flat-out great. In 2010, the Granacha is 100% Grenache from Denner. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2018. Villa Creek is one of my favorite wineries in Paso Robles. The wines are bold, exuberant and bursting with the essence of everything that makes Paso such a compelling region. Tel. (805) 238-7145