Herman Story 2023 Casual Encounters Red Blend, California

96 points                                                            Casual Encounters is a blockbuster new red from new discovery Herman Story - get on the bandwagon now while it's still available.  96 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "Dense purple-hued, the Herman Story 2023 Casual Encounters is a blend of 40% Mourvèdre, 40% Syrah, and 20% Grenache aged 24 months in 81% new French oak. It has awesome aromatics of gamey blue fruits, Provençal herbs, spice, pepper, and violets, and it's balanced, with full-bodied richness, a deep, pure, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. It's another blockbuster-styled beauty from Russell From. Drink 2026-2038." Robert Parker: "...Pulling from a number of sites spread throughout the Central Coast, Herman Story’s Russell From makes unabashedly Californian wines that make the most of the beautiful fruit that makes California so special. These are not for those craving tiny, mid-weight efforts and they have rocking textures, tons of fruit and most importantly, always remain a joy to drink. These are gorgeous wines."                                                 Brix26 Inside Scoop: There are some fantastic small labels coming out of the Paso Robles wine country in California's Central Coast, and Herman Story winery is our latest "crush" (pun intended).  The style of wines are full-throttle, fruit forward bombastic style while keeping things balanced and delicious.  Like going right up to the point of over-the-top and stopping perfectly before it.  The 2012 Nuts & Bolts Syrah is a beautiful example of what small, hands-on winemakers like Herman Story are achieving with the varietal in Paso Robles.