Elegant, earthy notes of wet clay, baking spices, and raspberries hint at this wine’s elegance. Medium-bodied on the palate, flavors of wild strawberries, raspberries, and rich oak meld to create a wine with excellent balance and finely textured tannins.
Specs
Vintage: 2022
Varietals: 80% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot
Appellation: Paso Robles
Cooperage: 5% new American Oak, 15% once-used, French Oak, & 80% neutral
While this wine’s garnet hue charms the eye, the nose engages our senses with aromas of lingonberries, raspberries, and rose petals. The wine’s palate is elegant and refined, reminiscent of a strawberry–cranberry tart. Lovely as an aperitif, this wine will drink well over the next 5 years.
Steve Hearst and Jim Saunders began their business and personal relationship after Jim purchased a Hearst Ranch tour at a Hearst Cancer Resource Center fundraiser. As the saying goes, “a meeting of the minds” developed into this benevolent project—Hearst Ranch Winery.
Independently, Steve Hearst and Jim Saunders are accomplished businessmen that have the talent, imagination, and integrity to create great things. Collectively, their shared vision on sustainable agriculture, resource protection, and historical preservation brought Hearst Ranch Winery to fruition. These men have fostered a friendship and an enduring devotion to their community.
The hand-crafted offerings of Hearst Ranch Winery have been brought to life by the collaboration of sound agricultural practices, impeccable winemaking, and the philanthropic involvement of Steve Hearst and Jim Saunders. The fruit from California’s Central Coast vineyards is among the finest in the world. Blend in the talent of our winemaker and you get Hearst Ranch Wines, exhibiting the excellence that is a testimony to the “Legacy of Quality™”—synonymous with the Hearst tradition.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Good evening! Checking in on this along with charming Leo.
So, what we have here is a 2022 Merlot from “Hearst Ranch Winery.” Yep, that Hearst, of Citizen Cane fame. Cool thing I learned today: the “Est. 1865” date on the wine label refers to when William Randolph Hearst’s father bought and consolidated ranch lands in the area, creating the massive acreage that was later site of San Simeon. cue The More You Know graphic
I was just waking up when the UPS guy rang the doorbell to deliver this wine, so I had plenty of time to plan a nice meal to go with. We had a lovely Rao’s marinara with meatballs over penne. I finished that off with some fancy ass chocolates from a local artisanal chocolatier. Mmmmm.
First off, charming Leo’s notes:
This evening, I sat down to examine the Hearst 2022 “Pico Creek” Merlot, and chronicle my impressions…
We tried it alongside some pasta and meatballs with tomato sauce for dinner. It was opened at room temperature and allowed to stand for a few minutes. It’s a good pairing.
Nose: Big dark berries, with slight mineral back-notes. Remotest hint of honey.
Palate: More big dark berries. Also rather tannic, but not unpleasantly so. Finishes fairly clean on a slightly woody note.
I wouldn’t say I was t[hearst]y but, before I knew it, I was through about 1/3rd of the bottle, so it’s perfectly drinkable as it is. In the main[e], this is perhaps bolder than you would expect from an ordinary Merlot, more closely resembling a recent vintage Cab or Zin.
It’s clear that this is a young wine, and would likely benefit from being put up and checking back with it in a year or three.
What I think: I’m a big fan of merlots, because they tend to be light enough for my white-and-pink-loving heart. That said, this was a very strong version of a merlot! Initially minerally, with strong tannins and berry flavors. Very dark color, with a long finish on the palate. It feels “big” as a wine. It stood up just fine to the marinara and the fancy dark chocolates.
Expected hints of rosebud and marionberry – got more of the latter than the former. As it sat open for the evening, it mellowed out a bit, though it’s a still a pretty bold wine for a merlot. I just tasted it alongside another merlot in the house and noticed there was much less oak or spice in the Hearst merlot. So, tannins and berries, for sure – but I think it’s more Marion than Logan. We’ve finished up the whole bottle tonight, which is unusual for our household these days.
I would defer to Leo’s suggestion that it may benefit from holding for a couple of years. That said, it’s a great wine and I’d be glad to drink it again or gift it to others.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot - $50 = 20.83%
Hey folks…I received an email from Alice asking if I could do an emergency Rat thing and, as luck would have it, I could so here we are.
Actually, it turned out to be my first opportunity to do a vertical with the Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot 2021 and 2022.
We were planning on leftover ribs from the weekend for dinner and, after about three hours in the wine fridge, it was an amazing pairing. So, here we go.
My wife and I both tasted and judge them on nose, palate, and food pairing. We were surprised.
On the nose, the 2021 was a little muted in my opinion but my lady thought it was a very nice nose. We both got near ripe plum, vanilla, black cherry, and cocoa. For me, consequently, when I went back for a second pour after tasting the 2022 (maybe 20 minutes), I thought the nose had opened up nicely and was more pronounced.
On the palate, upon first sip, we both used the same word: Lush. It fills the mouth and there’s a lot going on there: black cherry, blackberry, blueberry…all good. But here’s the kicker: there was an amazing undercurrent of baking spice, anis, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon that added depth and complexity to the experience, finishing of with a wet leather taste that made us both think of Riojas we’ve enjoyed in the past.
After decanting for an hour, it was game on. Pair this one with a good steak or BBQ smoked pork baby back ribs like we did.
We both agreed this was a 91 in our judgement. I pegged it at $35-40/bottle at retail.
Now, on to the 2022.
The reverse happened with the nose this time. I thought it was a nice and in your face. My wife thought it was muted but would develop over time.
I got loads of dark cherry, ripe plum, ripe blackberry (like ready to be made into syrup) and a very nice eucalyptus thing. Now, I am very sensitive to herbal flavors and noses so that may explain why it was more pronounced to me than my wife.
On the palate, the first thing we noted was that it was definitely more tannic than the 2021. Expect that to go away over time as the tannins integrate. While my wife described it as less lush that the 2021(and I agree) the tannins were a bit of a turn off for her. For me, I described it as “mouthwatering” because it was reminiscent of the acidic backbone that makes young Pinot Noir taste so fresh.
Having said that, it is dry and again, there’s that fruit (though not as lush as the 2021) and baking spice but this time we got nutmeg, white pepper, and milk chocolate. I perceived an herbaceous thyme thing going on but I’m very sensitive to that. My wife didn’t get that from it.
We gave this one a 90 but agreed that laying it down for a few years would probably shoot it up into the 92 range.
I’m calling it $30-$40 at retail.
In summary: The 2021 is drinking nicely now and showing surprising complexity for a 4 year old wine. It will continue to develop. The 2022 has a youthful acidity and energy that will mellow and become more sophisticated over time though it is certainly drinking well now.
The case price is a steal and, even though I am on a SIWBM and I don’t have room for it, I’m in for a case.
Thanks for the opportunity to bring our humble opinions to your eyeballs.
89 points. There’s a clay-like minerality to the nose of this bottling, which shows aromas of rose potpourri and pomegranate. The palate pairs those similar fruit and flower flavors with tea leaf and light pepper spice. — Matt Kettmann 9/1/24
2022 Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot Paso Robles
Tasting Notes
Specs
2021 Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot Paso Robles
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$453.60/Case for 6x 2022 Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot Paso Robles + 6x 2021 Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot Paso Robles at Hearst Ranch Winery
Not for sale on winery website, $660/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 21 - Tuesday, Jul 22
Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot
4 bottles for $79.99 $20/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $189.99 $15.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2021 Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot
2022 Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot
2022 Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot
Good evening! Checking in on this along with charming Leo.
So, what we have here is a 2022 Merlot from “Hearst Ranch Winery.” Yep, that Hearst, of Citizen Cane fame. Cool thing I learned today: the “Est. 1865” date on the wine label refers to when William Randolph Hearst’s father bought and consolidated ranch lands in the area, creating the massive acreage that was later site of San Simeon. cue The More You Know graphic
I was just waking up when the UPS guy rang the doorbell to deliver this wine, so I had plenty of time to plan a nice meal to go with. We had a lovely Rao’s marinara with meatballs over penne. I finished that off with some fancy ass chocolates from a local artisanal chocolatier. Mmmmm.
First off, charming Leo’s notes:
What I think: I’m a big fan of merlots, because they tend to be light enough for my white-and-pink-loving heart. That said, this was a very strong version of a merlot! Initially minerally, with strong tannins and berry flavors. Very dark color, with a long finish on the palate. It feels “big” as a wine. It stood up just fine to the marinara and the fancy dark chocolates.
Expected hints of rosebud and marionberry – got more of the latter than the former. As it sat open for the evening, it mellowed out a bit, though it’s a still a pretty bold wine for a merlot. I just tasted it alongside another merlot in the house and noticed there was much less oak or spice in the Hearst merlot. So, tannins and berries, for sure – but I think it’s more Marion than Logan.
We’ve finished up the whole bottle tonight, which is unusual for our household these days.
I would defer to Leo’s suggestion that it may benefit from holding for a couple of years. That said, it’s a great wine and I’d be glad to drink it again or gift it to others.
BTW, does NOT pair well with those Gummy Fettuccine Grape flavor from Meh. Just, uh, FYI. #forscience
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot - $50 = 20.83%
Hey folks…I received an email from Alice asking if I could do an emergency Rat thing and, as luck would have it, I could so here we are.
Actually, it turned out to be my first opportunity to do a vertical with the Hearst Ranch Winery “Pico Creek” Merlot 2021 and 2022.
We were planning on leftover ribs from the weekend for dinner and, after about three hours in the wine fridge, it was an amazing pairing. So, here we go.
My wife and I both tasted and judge them on nose, palate, and food pairing. We were surprised.
On the nose, the 2021 was a little muted in my opinion but my lady thought it was a very nice nose. We both got near ripe plum, vanilla, black cherry, and cocoa. For me, consequently, when I went back for a second pour after tasting the 2022 (maybe 20 minutes), I thought the nose had opened up nicely and was more pronounced.
On the palate, upon first sip, we both used the same word: Lush. It fills the mouth and there’s a lot going on there: black cherry, blackberry, blueberry…all good. But here’s the kicker: there was an amazing undercurrent of baking spice, anis, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon that added depth and complexity to the experience, finishing of with a wet leather taste that made us both think of Riojas we’ve enjoyed in the past.
After decanting for an hour, it was game on. Pair this one with a good steak or BBQ smoked pork baby back ribs like we did.
We both agreed this was a 91 in our judgement. I pegged it at $35-40/bottle at retail.
Now, on to the 2022.
The reverse happened with the nose this time. I thought it was a nice and in your face. My wife thought it was muted but would develop over time.
I got loads of dark cherry, ripe plum, ripe blackberry (like ready to be made into syrup) and a very nice eucalyptus thing. Now, I am very sensitive to herbal flavors and noses so that may explain why it was more pronounced to me than my wife.
On the palate, the first thing we noted was that it was definitely more tannic than the 2021. Expect that to go away over time as the tannins integrate. While my wife described it as less lush that the 2021(and I agree) the tannins were a bit of a turn off for her. For me, I described it as “mouthwatering” because it was reminiscent of the acidic backbone that makes young Pinot Noir taste so fresh.
Having said that, it is dry and again, there’s that fruit (though not as lush as the 2021) and baking spice but this time we got nutmeg, white pepper, and milk chocolate. I perceived an herbaceous thyme thing going on but I’m very sensitive to that. My wife didn’t get that from it.
We gave this one a 90 but agreed that laying it down for a few years would probably shoot it up into the 92 range.
I’m calling it $30-$40 at retail.
In summary: The 2021 is drinking nicely now and showing surprising complexity for a 4 year old wine. It will continue to develop. The 2022 has a youthful acidity and energy that will mellow and become more sophisticated over time though it is certainly drinking well now.
The case price is a steal and, even though I am on a SIWBM and I don’t have room for it, I’m in for a case.
Thanks for the opportunity to bring our humble opinions to your eyeballs.
Wellllllll let’s see…
'21, the Enthusiast:
89 points. There’s a clay-like minerality to the nose of this bottling, which shows aromas of rose potpourri and pomegranate. The palate pairs those similar fruit and flower flavors with tea leaf and light pepper spice. — Matt Kettmann 9/1/24
that might be about it…
fwiw
Had to jump on the deal. We saved a half bottle of each for tonight after ratting.
/giphy tiny-productive-crook
@lionel47
Tiptoe through the… Merlot?