Falcone Family Vineyards

November/December 2011

2010 Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley
Bright gold. Smoky peach and dried apple aromas are complicated by toasted nuts, smoky lees and dried flowers. Chewy, nicely concentrated pit and orchard fruit flavors stain the palate, picking up bitter lemon pith and butterscotch nuances with air. Finishes smooth and a bit loose-knit, the pit fruit note repeating. 88

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
Bright ruby. Oak-spiced aromas of cherry, cassis and licorice, with a smoky overtone. Lush and smooth but lively, displaying very good clarity to its dark berry flavors. Finishes sweet, juicy and persistent. I like the way this wine unfolds in the glass and suspect that it will be even better in a few years. 90(+?)

2009 Syrah Paso Robles
(includes 12% petite sirah): Bright purple. Expressive aromas of black raspberry, peppery spices, violet and woodsmoke: very syrah. Supple, lush and sweet, with spicy dark berry flavors complicated by a violet pastille quality. Smooth, nicely balanced, expressive syrah that finishes on a sweet note, with no obvious tannins. Shows a light touch for a New World rendition of the variety. 90

NV Annate III Paso Robles
65% 2006 syrah, 25% 2006 petite sirah, 7% 2007 cabernet sauvignon and 3% Annate II, aged in 60% new French oak): Opaque ruby. Powerful aromas of black and blue fruits and vanilla, with a smoky overtone. Oak-spiced blackberry and boysenberry flavors provide very good palate coverage, with velvety tannins providing shape. The finish repeats the blue fruit and cola notes and clings with impressive spicy intensity. 91

90 points for 2009 Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County
A very pretty Chardonnay with apple pie, light butterscotch and minerality undertones. Full body, with bright acidity and a clean finish. Crisp and subtle. Drink now.

90 points for 2009 Syrah, Paso Robles
A wine with blueberry and light spices on the nose. Hints of hazelnut and chocolate. Full body with fine tannins and full finish. Delicious now.

91 points for 2009 Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County
Smooth and ripe with lovely fruit and a core of bright, juicy acidity; balanced, rich and delicious

August 2011, Jon Bonné

2009 Falcone Family Vineyards Paso Robles Syrah
When not making wine for Ballard Canyon's Rusack, John and Helen Falcone run their own modest label out of Solvang. John's hand with Syrah shows up in this standout, sourced mostly from their own vineyard in Paso Robles. A tangy, tarry backbone frames polished blackberry flavors and a pretty oregano accent.

2009 Chardonnay - 90 points and Editors' Choice

July 2011

2009 Chardonnay - 90 points and Editors' Choice

Husband and Wife Winemakers: Wine Runs in the Family Blood for John & Helen Falcone

The Santa Barbara Independent recently profiled Falcone Family Vineyards. Check it out!

Blue’s Best Buys
Anthony Dias-Blue
November 2010

Falcone Family 2008 Chardonnay, Sierra Madre 90 points
Smooth texture and ripe fruit; juicy, minerally and quite delicious.

November/December 2010

2009 Chardonnay Santa Barbara County - 87 points
Bright gold. Ripe orchard and pit fruits on the nose, with hints of butterscotch and spices adding complexity. Smooth and fleshy, offering gently sweet peach and honeyed pear flavors and a bite of peppery spice. Rich but in no way flabby, with good finishing thrust and lingering warmth.

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles - 90 points
Opaque purple. Blackcurrant, dried cherry and vanillin oak on the nose, with a smoky cola quality in the background. Lively dark fruit and rose pastille flavors are complemented by sweet vanilla bean and cola nuances. The oak fades into the fruit on the long finish, which is juicy, expansive and seamless. This drinks well now.

NV Annaté II Paso Robles - 91 points
(65% 2006 syrah, 22% 2006 petite sirah, 8% 2007 cabernet sauvignon and 5% of the 2006 Annate I wine)
Glass-staining ruby. Sexy blackberry, cherry compote and cola scents are complicated by Moroccan spices and potpourri. At once decadently rich and lithe, with a seamless texture to its sweet dark fruit liqueur flavors. Expands nicely on the finish, with the spice and floral notes clinging with excellent tenacity.

December 2010

Annaté II - 93 points
Syrah, 2008 - 92 points & Editors Choice
Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 - 90 points

July 2010

Wine writer Steve Heimoff recently blogged about those winemakers who inspire him. We are very proud that John Falcone was included, along with his Assistant Winemaker at Rusack. Heimoff noted: “Two salt-of-the-earth guys who work it hard year in and year out. They may not get the credit more famous vintners do, but they are California winemaking..”

View the entire blog here.

January 2010

Annate Paso Robles NV - 90 points
Saturated ruby. Exotic, intensely perfumed bouquet of candied cherry and blackcurrant, complicated by notes of cured meat, rose and violet. Lush and creamy on entry, then gains firmness with air, offering sweet dark berry flavors and a strong floral quality. Quite complex, with very good finishing thrust and a persistent smoky note.

Syrah Paso Robles 2007 - 89 points
Deep ruby. Pungent aromas of cherry, cassis, fruitcake and cracked pepper. Initially a bit unyielding but loosens up and gains sweetness with air, offering lush dark berry preserve and bitter cherry flavors. Finishes on a spicy note, with good clarity and definition.

December 2009

Chardonnay 2008 - 92 points and Editors Choice Award

December 2008

Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - 92 points
Tasted in a group of wines considerably more expensive, including from Napa Valley, this Cab stood out for its purity, balance and restraint. Really impresses for its structure, so nicely tannic and firm, and the way the currant, blackberry and cherry fruit flavors marry seamlessly with smoky oak. Represents a real step forward in Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon.

Annaté - 90 points
Comprised of several vintages, this blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Petite Sirah shows how well a full-bodied red wine from Paso Robles can perform in the right hands. Fully dry, the wine has rich, intricate tannins and complex flavors of dried berries, beef jerky, herbs and smoky oak. Beautiful and elegant now, and should develoxp for several years.

November/December 2008

Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - 90 points
Saturated ruby. Sexy, oak-spiced dark berries on the nose, with floral and mineral qualities adding complexity. Juicy blackberry and cassis flavors are firmed by velvety tannins and become sweeter with air. There's a smoky mineral note here that reminds me of syrah. Finishes with a strong echo of cassis and very good persistence. Nicely judged oakiness here.

Syrah 2006 - 90 points
Inky ruby color. Strongly perfumed bouquet of dark berry preserves, smoky herbs, dried flowers and oak spices. Broad, sweet blackberry and mulberry flavors pack solid punch but are surprisingly graceful, with silky tannins adding support. Inviting and open-knit, with excellent finishing lift and lingering sweetness. I'd drink this now for its alluring fruit.

December 2007

Winemaker to Watch: John and Helen Falcone of Rusack Vineyards

"For the past six years, the Falcones, as a team, have overseen Rusack Vineyards' 17 acres. Their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are impressive, and they make an outstanding (if limited) Cabernet Franc-based blend. But their Syrah from Rusack's Ballard Canyon property and a couple of neighboring plots is the game-changer..."

" 'This is really where John's magic comes out,' Geoff Rusack says. 'He knows vines, and he knows where to find the right answers if he doesn't know them himself.' "

"Helen, 46, is the inveterate scientist, rattling off details about peptide chains as though it were office gossip. John, 51, is the quintessential field guy, describing in detail why his vine rows need to be aligned 5 degrees off north. Spend a few minutes with them, and it's clear how the two halves fit together to make wine."

"Mostly, they enjoy having found a place to make the wines they want to make - together. 'It just took getting out of Napa to make some really good wine,' John says."

Read the full article here.

October 2007

Falcone Family Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mia's Vineyard
John and Helen Falcone, the winemaking team at Rusack Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, have their own small vineyard in Paso Robles. That vineyard, named for their daughter, is the grape source for the wines they produce under their own label. This cabernet displays bright, juicy black cherry flavors up front, a hint of anise and some firm tannins on the finish. It's still quite tight but shows good promise.

Falcone Family Vineyards 2005 Syrah, Mia's Vineyard
John and Helen Falcone's vineyard is in the southeastern part of the Paso Robles appellation, at Highway 41 and Cripple Creek Road. This syrah is a dense, ripe wine - without being overripe or pruney - with plenty of smoky black raspberry fruit, good acidity and firm tannins. You could cellar it for a couple of years, but it's delicious now.

September 2007

Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - 90 points
Soft and generous in fruit, this wine needs a good steak to show its stuff. It’s dry, with a gentle scour of tannins framing earthy blackberry, cherry, blueberry, orange zest and oak flavors, and a dustiness that calls Rutherford to mind. Grows in the glass.

Syrah 2005 - 90 points
Shows the better side of Paso Syrah, with a white pepper and sweet leather note to the cherry, blackberry and black raspberry fruit. The wine is soft and dry, with just enough acidity and tannins for structure, and a very long, persistent finish. Drink now.

Wine Advocate #172, August 2007

Syrah 2005 - 87 points
Fresh acidity and a French-like, restrained, streamlined style are found in this 2005 Syrah Mia’s Vineyard along with herbal red and black currants as well as some minerality, and a quick, but pleasant finish. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.

Wine Advocate #166, August 2006

Syrah 2004 - 90 points
This impressive Syrah possesses terrific texture, medium to full body, loads of opulence, and a bouquet of black currants, licorice, cedar, and earth. Pure fruit, silky tannin, and a plush texture result in a seductive red that should drink nicely for 3-5 years.