2015 Booker Oublie 22

The 2015 Oublie checks in as a Mourvèdre heavy blend of 38% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, 23% Syrah and 9% Counoise. Its deep ruby, yet translucent color is followed by an exotic bouquet of spiced plums, white pepper, menthol and pepper meat. The Mourvèdre really shines here, and it’s full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with savory tannin and powerful, yet light texture. This wine shows the more forward, supple style of the vintage, yet will have a broad drink window given its overall balance. One of the leaders of the Paso wine scene is undoubtedly Eric Jensen’s Booker Vineyard (I’ve affectionately called this group the motley crew before). Jensen and his wife Lisa purchased these 72 acres in 2001, with their wines released in 2005. Since then, the wines have evolved from uber rich and forward, to today where they’re more polished, complete and structured. Looking at his 2015s, which Jensen compared to his 2010 and 2013s, they show the more elegant style of the vintage, yet pack plenty of fruit and texture. His 2016s are certainly bigger wines, yet have plenty of tannin and a focused style on the palate which I suspect will benefit from short term cellaring. In addition to his Rhône variety releases and blends, it’s worth pointing out the quality coming from his Cabernet Sauvignons as well. These are seriously good wines!