Booker Oublié Red Blend Paso Robles 2019

Every now and then we like to detour from the Napa Valley and indulge in delights other than Cabernet. To pull our attention, however, the wines have to be sensational. The 2019 vintage from Booker Vineyards did just that! We’ve cheered on the brand from a distance for its commitment to sustainable farming and its ability to produce juicy, robust, and structured GSM blends and Syrah. There is nothing dainty and these wines – they will command your tastebuds!

The name Booker comes from the two orphan brothers, Claude and Dick Booker, who purchased the land in the late 1920s. By the turn of the century, the Booker brothers had acquired over 1,200 acres on Paso's Westside. They dedicated their lives to being great farmers and humanitarians, leaving 100% of their estate to charity when they passed, Dick in 1990 and Claude in 2000.

Next came Eric and Lisa Jensen, who purchased 100 acres of the property in 2001 to grow the best fruit for some of the best wineries in the area. After making wine with Justin Smith (of Saxum) for five years and Stephan Asseo (of L'Aventure Wines) for two years the Jensens decided it was time to create their own expression with Booker Vineyard. The 2005 Vintage was Booker Vineyard's first release with the wines being made by owner Eric Jensen. 

Booker is dedicated to pursuing farming perfection, constantly striving to find the perfect balance in the vineyard through certified organic farming practices and methods that draw inspiration from biodynamics. The west side of Paso Robles terroir is unique, boasting extreme vertical slopes and calcareous soils. Limestone beds with very little water make it hard to believe that anything could grow, yet the Booker estate produces some of the most concentrated and boastful fruit in all of Paso.  

Often described as a Booker flagship, Fracture is one of the world’s great Syrahs. Only the softest Syrah in barrel makes the cut for this dense and powerful wine. The namesake pays homage to the calcareous soil in the estate vineyard; the limestone causes it to ‘fracture’. Inky black, it shows off intense aromas of graphite, gun powder, and blackberry cobbler. The flavors on the palate mirror the aromas and yet are almost completely eclipsed by the sheer weight, volume, and length of this graceful giant. The finish is even bigger than the previous 2017 or 2018 vintage with notes of double espresso and seared rib eye on the close.