Sidetrack is a delicious proprietary blend created to highlight the El Pomar District of Paso Robles. It has a brilliant, deep, rich color and wonderful aromas of plums, blueberries, dark red roses and caramel. Flavors of luscious berries, dark chocolate, spices and the perfect amount of oak make this a fantastic, food-friendly wine.
Pomar Junction Vineyard has a unique terroir, as our limestone soils, cooling Templeton Gap breezes and expert sustainable farming techniques (SIP Certified Vineyards) combine to produce this outstanding wine.
The Merrill Family’s agricultural heritage and grape growing history dates back at least 8 generations on California’s central coast.
A former family ranch still is home to a grape arbor planted in the 19th century. Today, Dana and Marsha Merrill and son Matthew farm the vineyards, while Matthew’s winemaking is complemented by winemaker par excellence, Jim Shumate.
After nearly 30 years of growing grapes for many of the finest wineries in California, ranging from ultra premium small producers to the largest international brands, the Merrill’s decided to produce their own wines. In addition to the family estate, the finest blocks of grapes from Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties are selected from vineyards managed by a sister firm, Mesa Vineyard Management, Inc. All wines produced are exclusively farmed by the Merrill’s who believe that control from planting and pruning through harvest, fermentation and cellaring is critical for success. It also ensure a uniform dedication to Sustainability, which led our recent Certification to the SIP program within the Central Coast Vineyard Team.The family believes in community and industry involvement. Dana Merrill was the first San Luis Obispo County Chair of the California Assn of Winegrape Growers, a charter member of the pioneering vineyard Sustainability group, the Central Coast Vineyard Team and is a past two term Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.
Video
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
NV Pomar Junction Sidetrack - $55 = 22.91%
This was another wine that was Labratted at the recent Seattle Casemates gathering. Hopefully others will chime in with their own reports and together we will provide a good understanding of the wine, since we were all busy tasting lots of wines and I only tried a little of each.
The first thing I noticed was that the wines color in the glass was almost a dark hot pink in places. I only had a sip or two in the glass at the time, but I have never seen a wine that color before, so I thought that was interesting. I honestly cannot remember the full color of the wine enough to describe it any more, its not like the whole thing was hot pink, but I definitely remember the hot pink part and thinking how odd.
Upon tasting, this wine is dominated by its Tannins. It has medium + tannins that dry your whole mouth and really dominate the body of the wine. Beneath the tannins there is a hint of light fruit. I didn’t describe the fruit any more than that because it was so light, and because the tannins were so overpowering. I also noted that there was some light acidity on the finish, which I usually like.
It would have been nice to try this one again after it was open for a while, but alas I never came back to it. I expect someone took the leftovers, if there were any, home, so maybe they tasted it on day 2 or 3. And I know @StingingJ arrived a bit later than I did, so he might have some better perspective on this wine after it got a little air.
Overall, this wine was not really my thing. There was not a great balance between the tannins and everything else. However, their was nothing that left a bad taste in my mouth. This is obviously a young wine, so perhaps with some age it can balance out nicely.
Please see the photos posted by the winery below to see what I mean by “Hot Pink”. Also, I used the word “overpowering” to describe the tannins, but they were not THAT strong. they were just very apparent and up front, while the fruit and acid filled in the edges. I did enjoy this wine, but It is not something I would choose as a daily drinker. I would be very interested in tasting this wine as it ages a bit, and expect it will improve quite a bit with a little time.
I also ratted this wine. I liked it best of the people at the tasting. Interestingly, the nose was reminiscent of zin to me, which is funny considering there is none in there! I described this as happy, sunny day wine - I enjoyed the pop of fruit at the front. Tannins really didn’t hit me that much. Midpalate is thin and pretty light finish, though I do note the light acidity that can make it work with food. It’s interesting that the alcohol on this is 13.8, which I think helps it. I think that if you like Ty Caton wine that you will probably like this.
I have the small amount of leftovers on my counter still…will try to remember to taste and report back.
@aces219@rjquillin i think s/he is refering to it being New World style and an easy drinker with not much complexity…at least that’s my limited experience with Ty wines and took the comment to mean this
@losthighwayz@rjquillin that’s a better way of saying it. But quite pleasant! I still think it will be better in a few years once it smooths out. I will taste the rest when I get home tonight and share how it’s held up.
Matt from Pomar Junction here - I thought I would post a pic of what the wine looks like in the glass from over here at the tasting room. The grapes that went into this wine are also purchased by Daou Winery along with Justin Winery as we only keep about 10% of our fruit for our own winemaking.
Well the Cab/Merlot is 2016 Vintage and the Syrah is 2015 and 2016 fruit if anyone is interested on why we did NV although it could technically be considered a 2016 if we wanted to but we wanted to try a NV. It is made to drink now or cellar for 7-8 years or so. It will continue to really improve the next few years for sure as it is a bit young and fresh right now.
@vaaccess The color is partly due to its young age and the lack of oxygen getting to the wine. The more brick red you see the more oxygen and older age of the wine typically or if the wine was not punched down enough during fermentation possibly if it is a younger wine.
I was also at the recent Seattle Casemates remote launch party and tried this wine. I arrived late so tasted after it had been opened for at least an hour so had time to breathe a bit. I’m one of those people that really loves wine but doesn’t necessarily know all the right lingo to describe what I’m tasting. That being said, this may be my only opportunity to be a labrat so I’ll chime in. This is one of those wines I consider a good party wine - not so big and bold that it overwhelms non red wine drinkers but not so light that it won’t appeal to regular winos There was tannin present but not what I would consider overwhelming. I detected what I believe most would call acidity that make this a food friendly pairing. The wine is still young and does need some time to breathe. This wine appeared a dark ruby/garnet color to me with medium legs. I’m not familiar with Ty Caton so can’t speak to that specific comparison but agree this is a lighter style wine.
Tasting Notes
Sidetrack is a delicious proprietary blend created to highlight the El Pomar District of Paso Robles. It has a brilliant, deep, rich color and wonderful aromas of plums, blueberries, dark red roses and caramel. Flavors of luscious berries, dark chocolate, spices and the perfect amount of oak make this a fantastic, food-friendly wine.
Pomar Junction Vineyard has a unique terroir, as our limestone soils, cooling Templeton Gap breezes and expert sustainable farming techniques (SIP Certified Vineyards) combine to produce this outstanding wine.
Specifications
Price Comparison
$483.03/case at Pomar Junction (including shipping)
About The Winery
Winery: Pomar Junction
Owners: The Merrill Family
The Merrill Family’s agricultural heritage and grape growing history dates back at least 8 generations on California’s central coast.
A former family ranch still is home to a grape arbor planted in the 19th century. Today, Dana and Marsha Merrill and son Matthew farm the vineyards, while Matthew’s winemaking is complemented by winemaker par excellence, Jim Shumate.
After nearly 30 years of growing grapes for many of the finest wineries in California, ranging from ultra premium small producers to the largest international brands, the Merrill’s decided to produce their own wines. In addition to the family estate, the finest blocks of grapes from Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties are selected from vineyards managed by a sister firm, Mesa Vineyard Management, Inc. All wines produced are exclusively farmed by the Merrill’s who believe that control from planting and pruning through harvest, fermentation and cellaring is critical for success. It also ensure a uniform dedication to Sustainability, which led our recent Certification to the SIP program within the Central Coast Vineyard Team.The family believes in community and industry involvement. Dana Merrill was the first San Luis Obispo County Chair of the California Assn of Winegrape Growers, a charter member of the pioneering vineyard Sustainability group, the Central Coast Vineyard Team and is a past two term Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.
Video
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 9 - Wednesday, Apr 11
@Twich22 Has a Lab Rat Report for us.
@aces219 shared tasting notes.
@PJWINE is here to answer questions.
Ok, I’m blind.
I see no vintage listed.
It’s NV?
@rjquillin
It’s listed as NV on their site.
NV. Any lab rattage?
@jmdavidson1 The blend and labs actually look rather interesting.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
NV Pomar Junction Sidetrack - $55 = 22.91%
Pomar Junction Sidetrack
3 bottles for $59.99 $20/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $184.99 $15.42/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
NV Pomar Junction Sidetrack
This was another wine that was Labratted at the recent Seattle Casemates gathering. Hopefully others will chime in with their own reports and together we will provide a good understanding of the wine, since we were all busy tasting lots of wines and I only tried a little of each.
The first thing I noticed was that the wines color in the glass was almost a dark hot pink in places. I only had a sip or two in the glass at the time, but I have never seen a wine that color before, so I thought that was interesting. I honestly cannot remember the full color of the wine enough to describe it any more, its not like the whole thing was hot pink, but I definitely remember the hot pink part and thinking how odd.
Upon tasting, this wine is dominated by its Tannins. It has medium + tannins that dry your whole mouth and really dominate the body of the wine. Beneath the tannins there is a hint of light fruit. I didn’t describe the fruit any more than that because it was so light, and because the tannins were so overpowering. I also noted that there was some light acidity on the finish, which I usually like.
It would have been nice to try this one again after it was open for a while, but alas I never came back to it. I expect someone took the leftovers, if there were any, home, so maybe they tasted it on day 2 or 3. And I know @StingingJ arrived a bit later than I did, so he might have some better perspective on this wine after it got a little air.
Overall, this wine was not really my thing. There was not a great balance between the tannins and everything else. However, their was nothing that left a bad taste in my mouth. This is obviously a young wine, so perhaps with some age it can balance out nicely.
Please see the photos posted by the winery below to see what I mean by “Hot Pink”. Also, I used the word “overpowering” to describe the tannins, but they were not THAT strong. they were just very apparent and up front, while the fruit and acid filled in the edges. I did enjoy this wine, but It is not something I would choose as a daily drinker. I would be very interested in tasting this wine as it ages a bit, and expect it will improve quite a bit with a little time.
And as I think about it a bit more I think I am going to have to buy a 4 pack. Darn this website.
Some additional specs from the producer’s website;
Aging 9 Months
Bottling Date 04/26/2017
Cases Produced 915
I also ratted this wine. I liked it best of the people at the tasting. Interestingly, the nose was reminiscent of zin to me, which is funny considering there is none in there! I described this as happy, sunny day wine - I enjoyed the pop of fruit at the front. Tannins really didn’t hit me that much. Midpalate is thin and pretty light finish, though I do note the light acidity that can make it work with food. It’s interesting that the alcohol on this is 13.8, which I think helps it. I think that if you like Ty Caton wine that you will probably like this.
I have the small amount of leftovers on my counter still…will try to remember to taste and report back.
@aces219
Interesting comment, given that TC generally has AbV’s much higher in his recent vintage bottlings.
@rjquillin I know, it’s weird. Ty Caton but less hot? Or else my palate is just busted. Quite possible.
@aces219 @rjquillin i think s/he is refering to it being New World style and an easy drinker with not much complexity…at least that’s my limited experience with Ty wines and took the comment to mean this
@losthighwayz @rjquillin that’s a better way of saying it. But quite pleasant! I still think it will be better in a few years once it smooths out. I will taste the rest when I get home tonight and share how it’s held up.
NYC anyone interested? Looking for one other person.
Matt from Pomar Junction here - I thought I would post a pic of what the wine looks like in the glass from over here at the tasting room. The grapes that went into this wine are also purchased by Daou Winery along with Justin Winery as we only keep about 10% of our fruit for our own winemaking.
@PJWINE Welcome Matt and Pomar Junction!
@arianaWCC Thanks!
@PJWINE Can you speak to the drinking window for this wine?
Well the Cab/Merlot is 2016 Vintage and the Syrah is 2015 and 2016 fruit if anyone is interested on why we did NV although it could technically be considered a 2016 if we wanted to but we wanted to try a NV. It is made to drink now or cellar for 7-8 years or so. It will continue to really improve the next few years for sure as it is a bit young and fresh right now.
@PJWINE oh that makes a ton of sense. it’s still a baby!
That doesn’t look hot pink to me! I was a bit worried but not anymore!
@PJWINE very cool coloring… What do you think helped make it that color?
@PJWINE Thank you for exemplifying what I meant when I said “Hot Pink”. Hard to describe without seeing it for yourself!
@vaaccess The color is partly due to its young age and the lack of oxygen getting to the wine. The more brick red you see the more oxygen and older age of the wine typically or if the wine was not punched down enough during fermentation possibly if it is a younger wine.
I was also at the recent Seattle Casemates remote launch party and tried this wine. I arrived late so tasted after it had been opened for at least an hour so had time to breathe a bit. I’m one of those people that really loves wine but doesn’t necessarily know all the right lingo to describe what I’m tasting. That being said, this may be my only opportunity to be a labrat so I’ll chime in. This is one of those wines I consider a good party wine - not so big and bold that it overwhelms non red wine drinkers but not so light that it won’t appeal to regular winos
There was tannin present but not what I would consider overwhelming. I detected what I believe most would call acidity that make this a food friendly pairing. The wine is still young and does need some time to breathe. This wine appeared a dark ruby/garnet color to me with medium legs. I’m not familiar with Ty Caton so can’t speak to that specific comparison but agree this is a lighter style wine.
@lindylouwho - I think your explanation is good. Nice job!