Aaron Mauka
2022, California, Paso Robles, USA
Aaron Mauka
Red Blend
Aaron Wines
About the Wine
49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Petite Sirah, 14% Petit Verdot Mauka, meaning "towards the mountains" in Hawaiian language (my mother's heritage), is a cuvée that was a long time coming. We've always been fascinated with Bordeaux varietals, but struggled to find the vineyards that gave us a more classical Cabernet profile, which is what we were looking for. However, we began working with some wonderful, cooler sites in the Willow Creek and Adelaida districts that finally gave us what we were looking for! Mauka is a wine that is both substantial in structure yet elegant in character. A dense nose of redcurrant, flint, woodsmoke, and umami notes is met with a dark, penetrating palate of mocha-laced blue and black fruits, bright acidity, and youthful tannins that roll into a long, textured finish.
Tasting Notes
Aromatically exciting, the 2022 Mauka is bright and floral, featuring aromas of blackcurrant, blueberries, warm baking spices, and cedar. A great juxtaposition of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals, it shows the explosiveness of Petite Sirah’s dark fruits in contrast to Cabernets spicier nuances. The palate is a lovely combo of both red (Cabernet) and blue (Petite) fruits, with darker cherry and dried blueberry fruits accompanying brighter redcurrant and watermelon nuance. Spicy notes of mocha, cedar, olive tapenade, and a hint of menthol fill in the finish. Full bodied but still bright, it shows lovely freshness for the warmer 2022 vintage, making it a joy to drink.