I love wineries with a great story. Years ago I was tasting with my colleague Dr. Jae Hong in Paso Robles and we were both massively impressed with the Herman Story wines. These were unabashedly unctuous, full-bodied wines that still had marvelous poise. Russell P. From is the creative genius behind Herman Story wines. Russell grew up visiting his grandfather’s farm in eastern Missouri, driving a tractor and generally getting into whatever trouble he could find. Over time Russell grew very fond of the outdoors. Growing up in the East Bay of San Francisco, Russell attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, studying agricultural business, harkening back to his days visiting that Missouri farm.
He caught the wine bug at a very early age, interning at Lockwood Vineyards in his Freshman year of college he has never looked back, now working over 25 harvests. HIs winery, Herman Story, began in 2001 and has received great critical acclaim since its inception in 2002. Having tried these wines over the past decade, the style tends to be a bold, unbridled style of winemaking that full-throttle and hedonistic.
I adored the new 2019 Herman Story wines. The new 2019 Herman Story ‘Tomboy’ Viognier (OB, 93) is unctuous and rich with a silky texture. Even better is the sinfully good 2019 Herman Story ‘Nuts & Bolts’ Syrah (OB, 95) which is dense, chewy and fully of life. The flavor density is everything you want from a great Paso Syrah. Learn more about these outstanding wines at https://www.hermanstorywines.com Here are the beautiful new wines by Russell P. From and his Herman Story winery.
2019 Herman Story ‘Tomboy’ Viognier- Sourced from Santa Barbara County, this has a fantastic bouquet of banana and honeysuckle alongside salted praline on this evocative nose. Sweetened peaches, starfruit and nectarine tones mingle with minerals and vanilla cream on the palate. Beautifully textured, this unabashedly bold style of Viognier will cellar well over the next seven plus years. Drink 2021-2027- 93
2019 Herman Story ‘On The Road’ Grenache- Super bold and loaded with flavor, the 2019 ‘On The Road’ doesn’t come off at 15.9% alcohol as the label might suggest. Boysenberry torte, espresso bean and graphite tones mingle with shades of mandarin orange rind on the palate. The length and texture here is sinfully good. This will cellar well for another decade, but why wait when it shows this well in its youth? Drink 2021-2031- 94
2019 Herman Story ‘Milk & Honey’ Red Wine- Always a unique blend, this vintage showcases 5`1% Tempranillo with smaller parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. The beam of salinity is particularly nice here, as is the bright sense of acidity. Red and dark fruits play along with black tea, black florals and a seamless texture. I can’t say there is anything quite like this delicious red blend that is best enjoyed over the next five plus years. Drink 2021-2029- 95
2019 Herman Story ‘Nuts & Bolts’ Syrah- The 2019 ‘Nuts & Bolts’ is massively concentrated once in the glass. Creme de violette, Turkish coffee, dark rose petals and creosote all fill the nose. The palate is intense and viscous with good acidity and a massive core of black and blue fruits. Truly outstanding in its hedonistic splendor, the 2019 ‘Nuts & Bolts’ probably should be consumed more on the early side considering how delightful it shows right out of the bottle now. Drink 2021-2028- 95
2019 Herman Story ‘Bien Nacido Vineyard’ Syrah- Sourced from this storied site in the Santa Maria Valley, this shows off roasted dates and black florals alongside coffee grounds and blueberry compote tones on the nose. The palate is silky, elegant and wonderfully textured. Because of its sheer weight, this is best enjoyed on the cooler side, as the bottle suggests, taming the downright decadent core of blue and black fruits. Drink 2021-2028- 95
2019 Herman Story ‘First Time Caller’ Petite Sirah- The ‘First Time Caller’ has been sourced from the French Camp and Shell Creek Vineyards out of Santa Barbara County. Once on the palate you greeted to a massive wall of blue and black fruits, with violets, and espresso grounds with firm tannins rounding out this sinfully good wine. Great now, don’t be afraid to grab this bottle from the cellar over the next several years. Drink 2021-2028- 95