Review: Wines of Hard Working Wines, 2024 Releases
McPrice Myers recently launched a new label of (very) affordable wines called Hard Working Wines — all made not with generic Central Valley fruit but rather (for the most part) more prized Paso Robles grapes. And yet prices on all of these wines are kept to just $20 a bottle. Let’s dig in.
2021 High on the Hog Red Wine Paso Robles – 25% Grenache, 25% Zinfandel, 20% Syrah, 14% Petite Sirah, 12% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Mourvedre. Jammy, fruity, and as complex as you’d expect given that blend, this lip-smacker (at 15.2% abv) pours on notes of raspberries and strawberries, douses them in vanilla and milk chocolate, then sends the conflagration out into the world. Notes of violets and cedar add nuance. Just a hint of rhubarb on the finish adds a suggestion of tannin, tempered with a squeeze of expressed orange peel. Busy but surprisingly drinkable. B+ / $20
2021 Bull by the Horns Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles – A surprisingly tame (13.9% abv) cabernet, again aggressively fruity but just short of the jelly jar, this is a no-frills cab that pours on notes of strawberry, raspberry, and currants, layered with milk chocolate and vanilla. Bigger blueberry notes and again some violets on the finish. No tannin to speak of. Definitely a kissing cousin to the High on the Hog expression, even though it’s only 2% cabernet. Clearly the DNA is stronger in the winemaking, less so in the vineyard. B+ / $20
2022 Right Hand Man Syrah Central Coast – An ultra-dense expression of syrah, intensely earthy and loaded with notes of anise up front. Layers of spiced blackberries and currants come into focus as the initial rush of earth fades, but a beefy quality endures, maintaining a savory pungency throughout. A reprise of anise on the finish is sweeter, closer to a licorice candy. Not exactly a classic example of syrah, but, with the right pairing, not a terrible one. B / $20
2022 Pound for Pound Zinfandel Paso Robles – An almost iconic expression of zinfandel, a rather boozy, fruit-heavy experience that is more craisin than raisin, with just an edge of rhubarb and a vein of bittersweet chocolate running through it. The most straightforward (and outright juicy) wine in this lineup, as well it should be. B / $20
2022 Right Hand Man Syrah Central Coast
$20
