2018 Ragtag Wine Co. Meritage Paso Robles 750 ml

Ragtag is a small-production brother-and-sister operation in Paso Roblesl. We met them when they approached us—as vintners and as customers. 

Their 2018 Meritage blend is made up of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Malbec, and 27% is an inky, floral Petite Verdot. Both the Petite Verdot and Malbec were grown at Margarita Vineyard in the new Santa Margarita Ranch AVA, southernmost (and coolest) sub-AVA of Paso Robles Wine Country.

The Cabernet Sauvignon was grown at Dos Robles Vineyard in the El Pomar region of Paso Robles AVA. The 30-year-old vines on this special block of Dos Robles are so thick and gnarled they’re starting to resemble miniature tree trunks. The clusters are loosely packed, and the intensity of the grapes is off the charts.

This effort is all heart—and tons of work. Winemaker Jeff Huskey told us he loves the way the vineyard managers at Dos Robles perfect the tiny details. They plant cover crops on every other row, for instance, which helps cool the vines, bolsters soil structure, and attracts beneficial insects. 

At Ragtag, Huskey applied a vinification script familiar to many top Napa houses: open-top fermentation, a two-day cold soak to extract just the right amount of grip, malolactic fermentation for added plushness, and 17 months in oak: 25% new French, 15% new American, 5% Hungarian, and 55% neutral barrels.

This is a lusciously textured bottle that fulfills the incredible promise of Paso Robles, as the appellation’s specific AVAs continue to become more distinctly defined—especially in a year Vinous called “a vintage of extremely high quality, producing wines that combine the textbook power and fruit intensity of the region.”