This is now my second introduction to Fulldraw, a great new producer from Paso Robles, The winery began back in 2012, founded by Connor and Rebecca McMahon who live on their land — a 100 acre vineyard which is located in the Templeton Gap, in southwest Paso Robles. Connor formerly worked at Booker before starting this project. Connor and Rebecca reside with their two children and their German Shorthair Pointer, Yadi, on the vineyard. The wines have been really great, showing a beginning, middle and end. The last two vintages have shown beautiful concentration and good nuance.
He mentioned that the vintage from 2023 might be a bit warmer than 2011 and slightly more similar to 2012. He noted “picking and timing wise it is like 2011 but 2012 was such an even growing season.” Connor remarked about concentrated wines but “Good acid that you see in them from the limestone.” His wines were dense and he explained that “I give decanting notes and let you know where it is at and we like that acid and structure but laying these down for five or six years is not going to be an issue whatsoever.”
I really love the 2021 Fulldraw ‘Chopping Block’ Red Wine (OB, 93) which has a lively acidity and plenty of deep concentration. I really enjoyed the 2021 Fulldraw ‘Honey Bunny’ Red Wine (OB, 93) which is also rich with its core of blue fruits. Learn more about this outstanding Paso Robles winery at fulldrawvineyard.com and here are my reviews of the new Fulldraw wines.
2019 Fulldraw ‘FD2’ Red Wine- A GSM style wine made from mostly Grenache (60%) with smaller portions Syrah and Mourvèdre, this delivers a smooth mouthfeel and texture upon entry. Pretty red currants combine with bay leaf, coffee ground and shades of boysenberry cordial. Nicely balanced, with bright underlying acidity, this is fantastic stuff to enjoy now. Drink 2023-2030- 92
2021 Fulldraw ‘Hard Point’ Grenache- You wouldn’t expect this to be Grenache by looking into the glass. Very inky, the 2021 ‘Hard Point’ is massively tannic upon entry. Levels of rich dark fruits combine with espresso grounds and orange rind flavors on the palate. Give this a year to soften. Drink 2024-2030- 92
2021 Fulldraw ‘Charted’ Red Wine- The GSM-inspired 2021 ‘Charted’ combines mostly Grenache (69%) with smaller portions Syrah and Mourvèdre. This is rich and polished stuff on the palate, with tar, creme de violette, Asian spices and great underlying acidity with firm tannins. Generous, and delicious, enjoy now. Drink 2023-2031- 93
2021 Fulldraw ‘Chopping Block’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Chopping Block’ combines mostly Syrah (50%) with 38% Mourvèdre and the remainder Grenache. Deeply colored in the glass, this shows off heady aromatics of creosote and smoked brisket alongside Turkish coffee and violets. The palate is nicely textured, with a great sense of weight and flavor density. Drinking beautifully now, enjoy over the next decade. Drink 2023-2033- 94
2021 Fulldraw ‘Honey Bunny’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Honey Bunny’ is nearly all Syrah (92%) with the remainder Mourvèdre. Deep and brooding in the glass, this offers concentrated blue fruit flavors alongside espresso grounds, tar and mocha notes. Rich and layered, with refined tannins, enjoy over the next decade. Drink 2023-2033- 93
2021 Fulldraw ‘Interpretation’ Red Wine- A Provence-inspired blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (66%) with the remainder Syrah, this shows off a massive wall of black and blue fruits alongside firm tannins, creosote and shades of creme de violette. Tannic, massive, and very heady, give this another year to soften. Drink 2024-2033- 93