Years ago I was tasting with my colleague, Dr. Jae Hong, in Paso and we were both massively impressed with the Herman Story wines. These wines seem to just get better and better. The ‘Nuts & Bolts’ here is that Herman Story wines are bold, hedonistic and all show a brilliant core of finesse.
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 was inspired to become a winemaker at a young age, first interning at Lockwood Vineyards in his Freshman year of college — and 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.
2020 was a challenging vintage across Paso. There are some wines that defy these vintage issues and the wines by Herman Story are a great example of stunning wines from a difficult vintage. I adored the new 2020 Herman Story wines. The new 2020 Herman Story ‘Larner Vineyard’ Syrah (OB, 95) is stunning and dense, with a great mineral backbone. Just as good was the incredible new 2020 Herman Story ‘Casual Encounters’ Red Wine (OB, 95) which brilliantly showcases the bolder side of Mourvedre. Each working part here is absolutely seamless. 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.
2018 Herman Story ‘Late Bloomer’ Grenache- Very geeky on the label, the ‘Late Bloomer’ offers a fantastic purity of red fruits on the palate. Think pomegranate, red cherry and red raspberry, with citrus rind and Earl Grey tea notes. The mineral backbone makes this particularly gratifying to sip now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2022-2030- 93
2020 Herman Story ‘Casual Encounters’ Red Wine- A blend of mostly Mourvèdre (58%) with 34% Syrah and a touch of Grenache, the 2020 Herman Story ‘Casual Encounters’ shows a very deep core with smoked meats, black currants and black olive tapenade on the nose. The palate is utterly sensational in terms of flavor density and flavor range. Smoky and savory with highly concentrated black fruits, this is a home run in a somewhat challenging vintage. Enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2022-2030- 95
2020 Herman Story ‘Long Time Listener’ Red Wine- A really cool blend of Mourvedre and Grenache with Carignan — all sourced from the Luna Matta Vineyard — the 2020 Herman Story ‘Long Time Listener’ Red Wine is a glorious effort by Russell From and his winemaking team. The very pretty red fruit profile from the Greanche is shining through at the moment, with red rose water and guava notes alongside white pepper and salt dusted smoked brisket and beef blood on the palate. Enjoy this beauty over the next eight plus years. Drink 2022-2030- 94
2020 Herman Story ‘Larner Vineyard’ Red Wine- Inky in the glass, the 2020 ‘Larner Vineyard’ blends 67% Syrah with the remainder Grenache. The wine is wonderfully weighted and heady, with plenty of minerality to back things up. Espresso grounds and dark chocolate shavings meld well with the vibrant core of dark fruits. Delicious, hedonistic and unabashedly bold, enjoy this beauty over the next ten years. Drink 2022-2032- 95
2020 Herman Story ‘Bolt Cutter’ Red Wine- The 2020 ‘Bolt Cutter’ blends 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Petit Verdot with smaller parts Syrah and Malbec. It is beefy and dense with intense black olives, black tea and exotic spice flavors that combine with blueberry pie and black currants. Full-throttle, enjoy this journey now and over the next eight years. Drink 2022-2030- 93
2020 Herman Story ‘White Hawk Vineyard’ Syrah- Coming from this site in Santa Barbara County, Syrah vines are planted on nearly pure sand on the south facing slope of Cat Canyon, with close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Beef tartare, oyster mushroom sauce, black currant jelly and shades of Turkish coffee all meld together on the palate, showing a light dusting of salinity. Complex and delicious, enjoy this bold Syrah now and over the next ten years. Drink 2022-2032- 95
2020 Herman Story ‘Made’ Red Wine- The ‘Made’ combines Syrah (36%) and equal parts (21%) Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, with 11% Merlot. Dense blackberries and black cherry flavors parade with light tannins that grapple with iodine, graphite and suggestions of black licorice candy. Full-bodied, and very novel, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2022-2030- 93