2021 Denner 'Ditch Digger' Red Blend Paso Robles

Winemaker Notes:  Ron Denner built his state-of-the-art gravity flow winery on Vineyard Drive in Willow Creek in 2005 after spending several years developing the adjacent land from barley fields into vineyards. Over the years, winemaker Anthony Yount made Denner into one of the great wineries of California through a combination of careful vineyard management (including dry-farming and organic practices) and non-interventionist winemaking. Today, Anthony continues his work at Denner as the consulting winemaker for head winemaker, Mark Williams. In the cellar, Denner takes cues from the old world, working with a percentage of whole-cluster in his Rhone blends, relying on native yeasts for fermentation, and bottling their wines unfined and unfiltered. Of course, all of this is to translate, as faithfully as possible, the terroir of a great site, with Denner’s patchwork of calcareous clay vineyards soaring to more than 1,000 feet above sea level.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

James Suckling - "This flagship wine is designed to show the best qualities of the Denner estate. It evokes a Chateauneuf vibe, blended from 33% grenache, 32% mourvedre, 22% syrah, 5% cinsault, 4% counoise, 2% tannat and 2% carignan. Nicely layered red and black fruit with meaty, peppery accents. Full-bodied and moderately tannic, showcasing the vineyard rather than any new oak influence. Drink or hold."


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "The 2021 Ditch Digger is a blend of 33% Grenache, 32% Mourvèdre, 22% Syrah, 5% Cinsaut, 4% Counoise, 2% Tannat and 2% Carignan. It has kaleidoscopic aromas of wild berries, dried mint, mushrooms, forest floor and hints of floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is notable for the concentration, definition and layering of its spicy fruit. It has a structure of chalky tannins, fireworks of fresh acidity and a long, dynamic finish."


Jeb Dunnuck - "The 2021 Ditch Digger is based on one-third each of Grenache and Mourvèdre, with the balance Syrah, Cinsault, Counoise, and other red varieties, and it was fermented with 35% stems and aged in used barrels, with a small portion in concrete. Rockingly good darker raspberries, mulberries, peppery herbs, and gamey, floral notes all emerge from this brilliant effort, a pure, medium to full-bodied, focused red that has ripe, nicely integrated tannins, a silky, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's a killer bottle of wine to drink over the coming decade."


Decanter - "It resembles the Ditch Digger Concrete but with some oak ageing in neutral puncheons and barrels. 33% Grenache, 32% Mourvedre, 22% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, 4% Counoise, 3% Tannat, and 2% Carignan. The bright fruit aromatics and flavours noticeable in the Concrete-aged Ditch Digger are present, and focused with blackberry and black cherry, expressive cedarwood and brown spices, and cocoa nibs nuances. A wonderfully structured red blend with brambly red berry fruit, black cherry and pie crust spices with stony mineral underpinnings, pops of liquorice, wild herbs, and building tannins framed by cedar and toffee. It's worth seeking both of these to sample them side by side."


Vinous - "The 2021 Ditch Digger is dark and youthfully inward, mixing nuances of sage and crushed blackberries with earth tones and spice. This is remarkably fresh and energetic, with depths of mineral-laced black fruit offset by hints of sour citrus. The 2021 marries power with grace, tapering off with staining length and gentle tannins. A pleasantly bitter tinge lingers under a cascade of violet inner florals."