Joseph Filippi Winery & Vineyards

Brothers Joseph “J.P.” and Gino Filippi, who recently celebrated their family’s 83rd anniversary in the wine business, are industry icons in the Southern California AVA of Cucamonga Valley. In fact, Gino Filippi wrote the petition that resulted in Cucamonga Valley becoming an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1995.

Marc Lurton of Chateau Reynier in Bordeaux, Tish Cooper and Dr. Fred S. Nury make up the winemaking team. The winery has multiple releases from the Cucamonga AVA and also from the larger South Coast appellation. This wine is a blend of 35.2% Alicante Bouschet, 31% Syrah, 14.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.1% Petite Sirah, and 4.8% Zinfandel.

Bright, well-saturated crimson with blue tones, this gorgeous wine has inviting and intense notes of bramble-berry, blueberry, strawberry, cassis, peach, fig jam, forest floor, redwood tree, leaf, tar, cedar, and cigar box. Fully fruited, opulent, viscous, and fairly alcoholic, the wine has a sexy openness. On the finish the wine shows warm origin raisin notes and has a refreshing, lightly cleansing acidity. Though a bit more structure might make a more complete wine, the perfume is so intriguing it is easy to overlook that minor point. This is a decadent wine to enjoy now.

Reviewed January 8, 2007 by Catherine Fallis.