2007 Maloy O'Neill Vineyards Fremere Bordeaux Style Blend
Mission Codename: Triple Double
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Maloy O’Neill Vineyards in Paso Robles, uncover their best red blend, secure an amply supply for our blend-thirsty Operatives around the U.S.A.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Maloy O’Neill Vineyards
Wine Subject: 2007 Fremère
Winemakers: Shannon O’Neill
Backgrounder: Paso Robles has long been established as a wine producing region that give other California regions a run for their money. With a climate and soils that make for perfect growing conditions for grapes, it is no wonder. Winemakers in Paso are a somewhat unique breed, often declaring themselves to be the renegades of Cali wine. A meeting with Shannon O’Neill, winemaker and owner of Maloy O’Neill affirms this sentiment. A warm, excited and deeply passionate man, Shannon makes wines that reflect his personality. Join Agent Red as he visits Shannon and tastes his incredible 2007 Fremère, a delectable blend of 45% Petit Verdot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc – and returns with a cache of the wine for our eager Operatives.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Gorgeous dark ruby hues, with perfectly even coloration from core to edge. After spinning the wine, tall legs form high up on the glass wall, before streaking swiftly downward.
Smell – Lush and deeply aromatic, with a rush of blackberry, Bing cherry and raspberry that leaps from the glass. Underneath, violets, leather, cedar, soft spice and berry bramble round out the nose.
Feel – Medium-bodied, plush and gently grippy on entry. Then, as the wine passes across the mid-palate it coats the mouth with a crushed velvet quality. A soft dryness spreads from mid-palate, outward, eventually drying the lips and cheeks.
Taste – Bursting with flavor, this juicy wine leads with blackberry, dark cherry, blueberry and raspberry. These are balanced against secondary flavors of cedar, dark chocolate, black licorice, black pepper and dried black flower petals.
Finish – Ultra-long and very flavorful with dark berry fruit that seems to go on forever. As the fruit flavors taper off, a distinct and delicious anise flavor appears. As that fades, black pepper punctuates the ending.
Conclusion – Shannon O’Neill does it again! What a fantastic and delicious wine this is. We went bonkers for the 2004 Fremère, but this 2007 is so much better. Bursting with dark berry flavors, this wine shows great complexity and great balance. The aromatics had us inhaling the wine, long before our first flavor-filled sips. When our glasses were empty, we were sad. It was a good thing that we had a second bottle on hand! If you love big, extracted, concentrated wines – ones that also show balanced good behavior – then this wine will surely win you over.
Mission Report:
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Maloy O’Neil vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.
yards can be seen in this satellite photo.