In my 17 years living out here on the West Coast, I have been through Paso Robles several times Until last Sunday' Grand Tasting, I never had the opportunity to really explore the wines from this region. Outside of zinfandel, some cab based blends and some massive syrah based wines from Cypher Vineyards (previously 4 Vines) I really had no idea what was going on in this area.
Well, it just so happens that a lot is going on, like GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre blends) and many other variations of Rhone Grapes. As Paso is a very warm region, even in the cooler climate of Paso's West Side sub region, you are not getting the sleek wines of Cote Rotie or Hermitage. But you certainly are getting some very interesting wines with non Bordeaux or Burgundy varietals. In fact, there were few chardonnays, few pinot noir, and very few cab blends to be found.
Ancient Peaks, our first step in this Grand Tasting set us up nicely for this adventure. Their Renegade blend of Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot was very interesting. Malbec predominates both the nose and the pallet,but being blended with these other two varietal, the strength and boldness of Malbec toned down, the fruit of the Grenache come up making the wine delicious andvery interesting.
Which brings me to the best white wine that I tasted, a Muscato from Bianchi Winery. Redolent of orange blossoms and kumquats with a spritz of honey added to the mix, this wine was magnificent. Their zin was jammy with lots of toasted wood. Good stuff all around.
Cypher Winery, formerly know as 4 Vines, is known for their off beat blends as well as their single vineyard syrahs and zinfandels. Being game, we bellied up to the bar and we dug right in. All of their wines showed exceptional balance, richness and excellent acidity, which means they will go great with lusty and full bodied foods. I really enjoyed The Peasant a GSM style blend of Grenache, syrah, mouvedre, tannat, counoise. It had a very pretty nose with strawberry, cedar, and smoke that had a tremendously long finish. Also enjoyed their 100% Grenache, and loved the Louis Cypher. The latter is a blend of the traditional Portuguese red varietals. This is a winery to watch.
Justin was one of two wineries having outstanding Cabernet based wines. Isosceles, their Bordeaux style red blend has always been one of my favorites. Dark and dense with hints of green peppers and olives, there was great depth of fruit with smooth tannins leading to a long finish. Justification, their right bank Bordeaux blend (cabernet franc and merlot), had nice dark fruit, scents of pine forest, and was full bodied with a long finish.
L'Aventure is the other winery producing primarily cabernet based wines. Their 07 cab was very nice. It had great fruit, bracing acidity and a very long finish. Their Cote a Cote, a GSM blend, was very nice as well with grenache dominating the wine. The question here is value with each wine is costing over $80 at retail. While he wines were very well made, and really quite delicious, I have questions as to the value they present.
Tablas Creek is another interesting winery. One of the first Paso wineries to plant Southern Rhone varietals, I find their production to be a mixed blessing. Their top GSM blend, Esprit De Beaucastel, was excellent. Great fruit, acidity, smooth tannins and a very long finish. This is a top drawer product and worth seeking out, frequently available at Costco. The rest of the line is mixed. The whites are interesting, but not interesting enough to seek out, the reds are kind of nice, but again, not worth seeking out.
Which brings me to my final winery Peach Canyon, an excellent producer of value priced wines, none priced over $20. I stumbled over this winery 15 years ago when our local market had their Incredible Red on sale. Then it was a non vintage zinfandel based wine is nowvintage dated and still a great value. Great jammy fruit with essence of prunes and berries, great acid and at $11.99 a great value. Their 08 Westside zinfandel was briary, tannic and deep. It needs a year to settle down and should be absolutely fantastic.
Several last thoughts on Paso. First, it is a region that needs to be more fully explored. Second, their Rhone based wines are very interesting, and very different. From a marketing perspective it is brilliant, from a wine drinking perspective it is very exciting. I look forward to traveling back to this region so I can explore it much greater detail.
Tomorrow we're off to Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. With specialty restaurants by Nobu and Valentino of Santa Monica, it is a foodie's dream come true. I hope to blog about my meals, and my wines, on board.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment.
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