While studying food science at Cal Poly in San Louis Obispo, California, Gary Franscioni became fascinated with viticulture. After graduating, he took over management of his family’s 200-acre farm in Salinas Valley. In 1996, he planted a 50-acre vineyard on his own estate property naming it after his wife Rosella. In 1997, Gary Pisoni formed a partnership with his longtime friend Gary Franscioni. Together, they planted and farmed a parcel of vineyards eight miles north of Pisoni Vineyard in a cooler sector of the Santa Lucia Highlands, designating it as Garys' Vineyard along with an adjacent vineyard called Soberanes. By 2001, Gary Franscioni and his wife Rosella launched their own winery, Roar Wines. The label is a tribute to the land and the wind that “roars” through the Santa Lucia Highlands each afternoon.

Medium garnet edges herald an enchanting bouquet of crushed purple violets and subtle earth undertones. On the palate, lush concentrated fruits of Morello cherries, wild strawberry preserves, creme de cassis and baked dark plums are delicately framed by an array of fruitcake spices and sweet mocha. The elegant and ultra-smooth texture are immediately inviting leading you deeper into the voluptuous core. There is an impressive structural detail and purity of fruit that seem endless in this wine. The finish remains long and sophisticated with soft, finely grained tannins.

By W Peter Hoyne