My mom and dad had just returned from visiting friends who happen to live in the Paso Robles Wine Appellation. They were kind enough to bring back a few bottles for me to try. Like any child who receives a gift from his parents, I was elated and the first bottle was opened about 30 seconds after ripping apart the box. I'm here to tell you it was sensational! And so was the second one, AND the one after that. What I find almost comical is I know very little about Paso Robles wine country. What I do know is that there are 12 designated wine appellations in California (known as American Viticulture Areas or AVAs) and I have visited 10 of them. Somehow, I managed to bypass the Paso Robles region, only the 3rd largest and fastest growing AVA in California! It’s like visiting San Francisco 10 times and not seeing the Golden Gate Bridge!
Anyway,I've spent the month learning about Paso Robles Wine Country and I have gone out and purchased a few additional bottles from the area. I could write a 50 page review, but instead I'll leave you with www.pasowine.com for those who want the history and additional insight of Paso Robles. In my opinion, the two main points are this: First, the wines seem more affordable than Napa Labels of similar quality. This definitely appeals to me. Secondly, it appears the winemakers are more adventurous in their quest to make good tasting wine(very similar to the early 70's winemakers of Napa Valley). Below are my tasting notes on what were more than just "sampled". A big thanks goes to mom and dad for not just the fantastic wine, but broadening my horizons of California wine. I can assure all of you, I will be visiting Paso Robles very soon.
-Linne Calodo 2007 Slacker: Rhone Style blend with 68% Syrah 16% Mourvedre 16% Grenache grapes with a 15.4% alcohol content. While wine maker Matt Trevisan is recognized by Robert Parker and others as an up and coming star, I wasn't thrilled with the Slacker. It offered great color and structural balance but I detected a sweet port-like finish which didn't appeal to me. To be fair, I didn't let this wine open up as long as I should have but at $45 bucks a bottle, I deserve to be impressed upon opening it. although several wine web sites show this as sold out, there were a few offering it as low as $39 a bottle.
-Villicana 2007 Estate Syrah: Another Rhone style blend(80% Syrah 10% Grenache 10% Mourvdre) hand crafted by owner Alex Villicana. Again another rich full bodied wine similar to the Slacker but offered the spicy characteristic I expect from California Syrah. This small family operation made only 333 cases of this vintage and can be purchased through their website. I did notice a few websites where it was offered in the mid-$20's.I did like this wine and given the price point, I'd say its fair value.
-Adelaida 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon: Let me make this easy for you-GO OUT AND BUY THIS WINE. This reminded me of the Howell Mountain wines tasted a few months ago. Full bodied, berry and chocolate flavors with the right amount of tannins make this wine perfect for a big, fat rib eye steak or rack of lamb. Its true richness was shown after about ½ hour. And 5 minutes later, the bottle was empty. This wine is a steal in the low $30's. Don’t get confused with Adelaida’s other higher end cabs which sell for double. I’m sure they are equally as delicious, but this is true value.
-L’Aventure- 2004 Optimus: To be fair, I’ve had this one in the cellar for a while and the 2006 through 2008 vintage will be the most readily available. I remember buying this a few years back and thinking it needed time to age and I was right. This wine has great structure and balance with plenty of intense fruit flavors that light up your palate upon the first sip. Owner and winemaker Stephan Asseo displays his French background at L’Aventure as this blend (57% Syrah 35% Cabernet Sauvignon 8% Petite Verdot) reminds me of a typical Bordeaux blend. The website sells the 2008 for $45 a bottle but you might want to try Apex Beverage Company out of Raleigh NC. For a better price (877-367-9414 and ask for Jake). If you buy the 2008, I’d let it sit a year.
-Robert Hall-2007 Syrah: This wine did not pack the punch the two other reviewed Rhone Style blends offered but at a price of $18 a bottle (I picked it up at the local grocery store for $15) it’s well worth the purchase. This deep red colored syrah offers aromas of black cherry and plum with a hint of spice as well. This wine needs to open up a bit and I found it much more enjoyable after 30 minutes of air. For what its worth, Wine Enthusiast gave this wine 90 points and it has received several other accolades as well.
-Norman Vineyards 2004 Conquest Cabernet Sauvignon: Another stellar Cab blend (82% cab 10% Malbec 5% Merlot 3% cab Franc) put out by this family owned winery that has been growing grapes in Paso Robles for over 30 years. This wine has similar characteristics of the Adelaida Cab but, didn’t quite offer the same boldness and structure. I can’t say it wasn’t as good; just different. If you prefer Cabernet’s that don’t stand up and punch you in the mouth, then you would favor the Norman over Adelaida. Priced at $20 a bottle, this wine is a great value.
-Terra Robles 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine is the sleeper pick of all my tastings. I picked this up at my local grocery store for $10 bucks. While it does not have the depth of the other cabs tasted it is a solid triple and is a wine that could be opened every night for dinner or brought to a friend’s house for a barbeque. Since this wine is a fairly young label, it was hard to get additional information on the wine. Turns out this is a second labeling by Robert Hall Wines made to appeal to recession hit consumers. I spoke to Robert Hall’s brand manager Danny Mantle and he said the wines are offered on the Robert Hall website and Terra Robles wines will have their own site shortly. If you do a search for Terra Robles wines, it will direct you to the Robert Hall site. The beauty of this wine is it’s made by the Robert Hall winemaker and the same grapes from the property. This difference is the vines are a little younger than what is used for the Robert Hall brand. Keep an eye on this wine. It could become a cupboard staple in any wine drinkers household.
-JPB
June 2010
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