#Templeton gap wineries

[wine-porn]

Bourne Hero

Pinot From Paso: World’s shortest book. And this has to be the least expensive of the half-dozen offerings from that region: most–if not ALL of them–hailing from the cooler, more coastal-influenced West-side of the valley. But this is still Templeton Gap, and I’ve often said, God doesn’t recognize the 101–or its exuberant price-padding. At 6, this hard-shouldered, screen-print screw-top charmer…

[paso-robles-wineries]

The Prince of Pinot Noir in Paso, is Marc Goldberg, alongside his wife, Maggie D’Ambrosia. Quite the pivot for 2 talents who were hospital administrators + now trendsetters starting in 1989 when they thrust their pinot scepter into our Wine Country.( At that time there were only 12 wineries in Paso!) Fascinatingly, The Pinot Prince was initially discouraged about planting the variety with some noting that it was far too hot for pinot noir in Paso. But he discovered a hidden gem, a pinot noir vineyard planted at Hoffman Mountain Ranch (now Daou) in the 1960s by former Beverly Hills cardiologist Dr. Hoffman + his consultant, the famed Andre Tchelistchef. When Marc tasted their pinot noir he was swept off his feet, confirming his decision to exclusively plant this noble variety. Why Pinot? In the 1980’s, while traveling through Burgundy, France, there was a seminal moment when Marc was bitten by the pinot noir bug. Born was his vision to make a ‘great American Burgundian style wine’. To that end, Marc + Maggie scoured wine country + in 1989 found their shangri-la, in Paso Robles Wine Country on beautiful, rolling hills off Hwy 46 west, close to Hwy 101. It was a 26-acre barley farm with a barn. The site’s acres of well-drained, rocky calcareous soil, + location in the maritime-influenced “Templeton Gap” (a breach in north-south facing Santa Lucia Mountain chain) is ideal for Pinot Noir. (The property was previously a rhododendron farm chosen for its cool climate.) Accordingly, the cool ocean breezes pass through the mountain range + cool down the grapes with a 50 degree swing of temperature. In 1990 15 acres of Pinot Noir was planted under the direction of infamous Wild Horse winemaker, Kenneth Volk with 4 Pinot clonal selections: HMR, Adelsheim (Oregon), Bien Nacido, + Sanford & Benedict. Proudly displayed on Windward’s label is the french word “Monopole” signifying the sole ownership of the vineyard + the crafting of his wines made exclusively from “their” specific vineyard. The term also eliminates any possibility that other varieties of grapes are included in the wine as can be the case with some “Estate Grown” wines. Is Pinot your thing? (at Windward Vineyard) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqGEjNSMIi0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[architectnews]

Fulldraw Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room, CA

Fulldraw Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room, CA, Paso Robles Building, Clayton Korte Images

Fulldraw Vineyard Winery in Paso Robles

Apr 6, 2022

Design: Clayton Korte

Location: 2660 Anderson Road, Paso Robles, California 93446, USA

Fulldraw Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room

Fulldraw Vineyard is located within the Templeton Gap AVA, the heart of California’s Central Coast wine country. Set on 100 acres of established vineyards, the land is characterized by its rich limestone soils and cool maritime climate—the perfect setting for growing Rhone-style varietals. Tucked into the rolling terrain, the winery is accessed via a long, looping drive that takes visitors through the vineyards before arriving at their destination. The proprietors, Connor and Rebecca McMahon, tasked Clayton Korte with designing a winery that represents their personality and passion for winemaking. The solution is a winery that is familiar yet exclusive, comfortable yet sophisticated—seemingly disparate ideas that come together through a visitor experience that is as curated as it is intimate.

Developed in two phases the winery complex consists of three buildings: a fermentation building and chilled barrel storage cellar both completed in 2019, plus a hospitality building. Indoors and out, the facilities provide a direct connection to the surrounding scenic landscape, as each of buildings overlooks the vineyard and the region. The two new structures are situated parallel to one another and shifted slightly in opposite directions to provide each with access to views and daylight. The use of simple forms along with honest materials and textures help break down the scale of the buildings to fit within its context.

The first phase consists of the 7,288 square foot fermentation building, a 2,714 square foot covered crush pad, administrative and employee spaces, and a 2,176 square foot barrel aging and case goods storage area. Responding to site topography and climatic influences of sun and prevailing breezes, the steel-framed building houses open-air fermentation spaces that foster cross-ventilation, utilize night cooling, and provide well-lit working environments with ample natural daylight. Interior and exterior materials are clean-lined while resilient. An integrated roof mounted photovoltaic system will minimize future reliance on utility-provided energy. The simple configuration will support and help facilitate production and flexible experimentation of balanced Rhone-style wines with an annual production capacity of 10,000 cases at full build-out. The new facilities mirror the existing durable exterior material palette, including painted and weathered steel, burnished concrete masonry bearing walls, and fiber cement cladding.

Expanding the Fulldraw Winery campus, the new 3,918 square foot hospitality building includes areas for a variety of tasting experiences, both indoors and out to provide an intimate connection to the surrounding scenic landscape, overlooking both Fulldraw and Booker Vineyards. The main tasting room space connects to a private lounge / wine library holding past and future vintages, restroom, back-of-house and private administration office areas.

A low slung, human-scaled structure, the tasting room sits beside the winery on the north edge of a small plateau, leveraging the vineyard views to the north and west. As with the existing winery, an exterior material palate includes painted and weathered steel, burnished concrete masonry bearing walls, and fiber cement cladding, chosen for their resilience outdoors. Naturally expressive materials like wood, stone and concrete are used on the interior where warmth and human touch become more important. Stretched forms and repetitive material textures help mediate the large scale of the site and winery. In this way, the tasting room becomes an instrument to pull the guest’s attention away from the noise of everyday life and focuses it on the incredible landscape and flavors of the Fulldraw Vineyard lineup. Fulldraw is rich; a place where the craft and culture of wine is expressed through the experience of land, place, and the intimacy of friends sharing memories.

Fulldraw Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room in CA, USA – Building Information

Clayton Korte project team Brian Korte FAIA | Principal Camden Greenlee, AIA | Associate Jonathan Fidalgo, AIA | Architect Christian Hertzog | Project Manager

Project team Architecture: Clayton Korte – https://claytonkorte.com/ Interior Design: Clayton Korte Planning Consultant: Kirk Consulting General Contractor: Rogers + Pedersen Construction Civil Engineer: Walsh Engineering Landscape Architect: Studio Outside Structural Engineer: SSG Structural Engineers M+P Engineer: TEP Engineering Electrical Engineer: Thoma Electric Lighting consultant: FMS Partners in Architectural Lighting Fire Protection Engineer: Collings and Associates Energy Compliance: In Balance Green Consulting Access Compliance: Access Compliance Consultants, Inc.

Additional notes Owners/Vintners: Connor and Rebecca McMahon – Fulldraw Vineyard Address: 2660 Anderson Road, Paso Robles, California 93446

Winery square footage · Interior: 9,011 SF · Exterior: 3,167 SF · Total Area: 12,178 SF

Hospitality square footage · Interior: 2,122 SF · Exterior: 1,796 SF · Total Area: 3,918 SF

Completion dates · Winery — Fall 2019 · Tasting Room — Spring 2024

Fulldraw Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room, Paso Robles, California images / information received 060422 from Clayton Korte

Location: Paso Robles, California, USA

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Comments / photos for the Fulldraw Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room, CA design by Clayton Korte page welcome

The post Fulldraw Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room, CA appeared first on e-architect.

[musicwine2018]

Album of the day: Automaton by Jamiroquai @jamiroquaihq @jamiroquaifr_34 @jamiroquaifans @jamiroquai.only | Got #madlove for this amazing album - it’s a must have in your collection. “My only question is, when is he coming to #toronto ???” .. ... .... The perfect wine I’m choosing to pair with this funky kickass album is the “Pomar Junction Vineyard Syrah 2014” from Pomar Junction Cellars @pomarjunctionwinery | Full-Bodied Smooth .... Pomar Junction has been SIP (Sustainability in Practice) certified, making it one of the first wineries to comply with the rigorous, comprehensive requirements. The grapes for this Syrah were cooled by sea breezes that worked their way inland through the Templeton Gap, moderating the warm days and ensuring freshness and lift in the wines. This soft, lithe wine has impressive black fruit with a delicate oak influence. It'll be great with grilled beef, but don't shy away from trying it with something like peppercorn-crusted tuna. (Vintages panel, Nov. 2017) - If you live in #ontario get it at your local @lcbo .. .. .. .. #vinyladdiction #vinylclub #wineoclock #musicandwine #lmlw #lovemusic #lovewine #winetasting #wine #winenight #winery #winestagram #winelovers🍷 #vinyllover #vinylporn #vinylcollector #vinylcommunity #vinylcollection_feature #vinyloftheday #lovemusiclovewine #jamiroquai #wineallthetime #wineallday #winesommelier #winesomemore #wine4all (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt0qp-Jn_0T/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1gcm7qnz8yxx0

[brokendownoldsurfer]

Where do you stay on the weekends you visit @pasorobleswineries? Our @airbnb Winecountrycasita is located in the historic town of Templeton, just minutes from the PasoTempleton Gap, and Zin Alley, and as you can see in this photo, we're about as far away from LA or the Bay as you need to be . . . https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26413173 Come stay in a beautiful Templeton area #winecountrycasita Enjoy @visitpasorobles wineries and relax in your private courtyard with your new favorite glass . . . Affectionately known as the Courtyard Casita, this adorable rental offers the ultimate romantic getaway. Stargaze in the private courtyard or venture out to the many nearby wineries and fine dining establishments, or head to the coast just 30 minutes away through wine country! Inside, find a complete remodel with a luxurious new king bed and a cozy well-appointed living room. LIVING AREAS After an exhilarating day of exploration and adventure, return to the welcoming living room, where a futon provides comfortable seating by a flat screen TV. KITCHEN & DINING Whip up home cooked meals in the well-equipped kitchen, featuring a full suite of appliances – including a gas stove. Helpful gadgets include a toaster and coffeemaker. When your culinary masterpiece is ready, enjoy a romantic meal at the dining table set for two. BEDROOMS & BATHS A king bed appointed with hotel-quality linens furnishes the beautifully decorated bedroom. #vineyard #vineyardcasitas #vacation #turnkey #airbnb #pasorobles #homeaway #homeawaypasorobles #visitpasorobles #winecountryairbnb #pasoairbnb #staypasorobles #visitcalifornia #visitslo #romantic #getaway #travel #roadtrip #winecountry #vineyardairbnb #pasoroblesairbnb #vineyardstays #centralcoastairbnb #airbnbpasorobles #winecountruairbnb #airbnbwinecountry (at Templeton, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpZEqbgBqc4/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1vmvoqkbljueo

[zillowcondo]

The Vintners’ Vision : The Burbank Ranch Estate Vineyard and Winery

To those who have lived and worked in Southern or Northern California, and traveled by car to or from San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego, there is a stretch of coastline halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco called the Central Coast. And somehow, very much like any quiet stretch between big cities, the Central Coast was left alone for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. What WAS there, and what made this area somewhat better known in the 1920s, was the Hearst Castle at San Simeon, built by William Randolph Hearst, for his lady friend, Marion Davies. Oh, the scandal. Watch Citizen Kane to discover more.

Hearst Castle, near the town of San Simeon, Central Coast California

But even back then, and for years after, the quiet of the hills, the sound of the surf and the Elephant Seals was not interrupted by the sound of tractors and concrete mixers, except for the construction of gas stations, diners and maybe a motel here and there. Today, though, this area is more populated with beach towns, but still, not metropolises.

Vineyard/Winery Signs near Templeton, California

Yet, east of Highway 1, over the first range of central coast mountains, is an area that feels like Tuscany – full of olive trees, aromatic lavender, and now, a lot of grapes. The vineyards wineries in and around the larger city of Paso Robles, and the smaller town of Templeton, have seduced many connoisseurs to take the 2-3 hour drive down from San Francisco, Napa and Sonoma, and up from Los Angeles to see the vineyards, taste the olive oil, and drink the wines of this area.

Burbank Ranch Winery & Bistro, near the Tasting Room

One of the youngest and most awarded is the Burbank Ranch Estate Vineyard and Winery. Though a young vineyard, the land and soil was part of a larger land grant holding, Rancho La Asuncion, that had been subdivided through a survey back in 1886.

Sunrise At The Vineyard

Traveling through the gates of Burbank Ranch Estate Vineyard and Winery, up the drive, there is a sense of quiet, balance, and harmony. Eucalyptus, Pampas grass, white and live oak, olive trees and lavender all surround the silent, yet green, nearly tangible growth of the 45 acres of grape vines.

Pampas Grass and Vineyard Grapes at Burbank Ranch

Burbank Ranch is an 83.5-acre parcel located in the El Pomar District of Templeton (within the Paso Robles AVA.) The property has panoramic views of the Salinas Valley, the Santa Lucia Mountains, and oak-lined seasonal creeks. The gently rolling hills of Templeton can be viewed from every vantage point on the ranch. The nearby Templeton Gap in the Santa Lucia Mountains – between the Pacific Ocean and Templeton – allows cool Pacific Ocean air to flow nightly into the Ranch, which is approximately 26 miles from the Pacific Ocean, and between 1020 and 1125 feet above sea level.

The Peace Of The Land and the Vineyards, Burbank Ranch

We were here a week before harvest, when Fred and Melody Burbank were riding their Kubota RTV between grape blocks in the vineyard, assessing their growth and health, deciding which to pick first.

Fred Burbank In His Kubota RTV, In The Vineyard

The soil is well fertilized and watered, and the grapes, picked in small bunches have a wild, vivid taste. At harvest, all the fruit will be hand-picked, and picking starts long before sunrise, as the pre-dawn light is enough for the workers, often including Fred and Melody, to see the grape clusters. Then, after picking, the fruit is immediately taken to the winery for hand sorting, crushing, and fermenting.

Freshly Picked Fruit

This commitment to creating something living, personal, and meaningful are the root systems of the Burbank Estate Wine brand. And the wines themselves have been honored by multiple awards, those that take other vineyards decades to win. We met and discussed these and other issues that contemporary vintners often face when we interviewed Fred and Melody:

Fred And Melody Burbank, In the Tasting Room, Burbank Ranch

Pursuitist:   As regards you both, this was not your first profession. I am curious as to how you made the transition from medical doctor and marketing professional to successful vintners. Burbank Ranch Estate Vineyard and Winery is the culmination of a vision that both that you and Melody had. How did that vision emerge?

Products Of The Original Vision

Fred: I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska – a medium sized Midwest city surrounded by farmland.  That countryside always seemed peaceful to me.  Furthermore, the seasonal cycle of planting, growing, harvesting, and winter dormancy was a natural clock, one that ran at a human pace.  Reflecting this environment, by 3rd or 4th grade children in Omaha had all learned many of the principles of farming: crop rotation, contour plowing, aquifers, and the like. After leaving Nebraska, I lived exclusively in cities or suburbs – with no surrounding farmlands. I missed open spaces, farms, and seasons.

Fred In The Vineyard.

Melody:  Five generations of my family lived on small farms in the San Joaquin Valley.  My grandfather retired from the Los Angeles police force to a little ranch in northeastern San Fernando Valley.  Grandpa grew fruit trees and vegetables. I loved that country life and wanted a return to it.

Pursuitist: What made you choose the Central California area in contrast to the more popular Napa/Sonoma area? What attracted you to the Central Coast region?

Fred:  When I made the transition from clinical practice to full-time medical device development, Melody and I had a bit of free time.  We used that time to visit the two well-known wine grape-growing regions in California: the Napa Valley and Sonoma. Although Napa and Sonoma were charming they were a bit overdeveloped and fancy for me.  For whatever reason, they did not feel right.

Melody:  When we went to dinner in Napa at a well-known high-end restaurant, Fred showed up without a proper tie and jacket. He had to borrow both from the restaurant.  You can picture how much he liked that.  Then the food came.  He maintains that his dinner consisted of one pea on a huge white plate with a drizzle of purple something or other splashed around it.  I think he asked the waiter for additional bread a dozen times.  Maybe more.  The restaurant was definitely not our kind of place. We were seeking something, like what Napa and Sonoma were 40 years ago, not now.

 Pursuitist: How did you find the land that was to become Burbank Ranch?

Fred:  When our youngest child, Noah, started college at Stanford in Palo Also, we began driving up to the Bay Area from Laguna Niguel to visit him.  To break up the drive, we often stopped in Paso Robles – a good halfway point.

When we arrived there in the early afternoon, we toured wineries.  Unlike Napa or Sonoma, Paso still had a country feel to it.  It was possible to drive by a ranch and find a pickup truck up on concrete blocks with someone crawling under to fix a leak or replace an oil filter. It reminded me of rural Nebraska.

The Vineyard In Pacific Coast Fog

Melody:  The rolling hills on the eastern side of Paso Robles captured me.  Vineyards were present, but undeveloped ranch land was everywhere.  Rather than purchasing an existing vineyard, we decided to build our own from the ground up. I had looked at many vineyards and lots of land and when we saw our property I knew it was the one. I felt peaceful and serene and I knew we had arrived.

Pursuitist: How did development proceed?

Fred:  We chose a property on El Pomar Drive.  El Pomar means “orchard” in Spanish, reflecting the past when orchards had been planted in our area.

I wish I could say that we planned it all oh-so-carefully in advance, but we didn’t. Each step led to the next, and here we are today with 45 acres of planted wine grapes, an estate home, and a guest house, a barn, a working winery and tasting room.

Main Residence In Front With Lap Pool, Winery And Tasting Room Behind.

Pursuitist: What are your favorite times of the day at the Vineyard?

Melody:  I like early mornings and late afternoons best because the lighting is best for picture taking.  I never tire of seeing the sun come up, shining light across the vines.  Similarly, each sunset over the Santa Lucia Mountains seems more beautiful than the last. I never miss the sunset. I also like the nighttime because you can see so many stars.

Fred:  I like midday.  In the summer it is generally hot at noon, just perfect for swimming laps in the pool.

Pursuitist: As regards the Central Coast area, it is becoming a popular wine, and olive growing area now. When you bought the land that would eventually become Burbank Ranch, could you see the growth possibilities of the region? Or was this a surprise?

Fred:  By the time we purchased our property in 2008 wineries in Paso Robles had already proven that they could produce world-class wines from grapes grown in Paso.  In fact, in 2013 Paso Robles was named the “Wine Region of the Year” by the Wine Enthusiast magazine.  The award was given to Paso because it exhibited positive “…spirit and can-do positivity … it’s the region to watch.”

Veraison Early Grapes

Melody: In reflection, I guess I could see the growth possibilities because there’s so much land available and the wines coming from Paso are really good. Furthermore, because the Paso wine scene is relatively new, it’s not gotten stuck in a niche like Napa Cabernet. Paso lends itself to Bordeaux style grapes, Rhone style grapes and many others. That aspect of the area is very appealing for someone who wants to get into the wine business.

Did I anticipate that it would grow with more vineyards and olive orchards? I didn’t think about it. But I’m not surprised. It’s a lovely area and people are attracted to it.

Pursuitist: Burbank Ranch produces Estate Bottled wines – what does that mean?

Fred: “Estate Bottled” means that 100 percent of the wine comes from grapes grown on the Ranch and those grapes are crushed, fermented, finished, aged, and bottled on the Ranch. With the completion of our 19,000 square foot crush pad, tank room, underground barrel storage vaults, offices, and tasting room building, we now produce estate bottle wines.

Burbank Ranch Tasting Room, Sunset

We hand pick grapes either at night or at first light, transport them to the crush pad, hand sort the bunches, de-stem, hand sort berries, must pump grape berries to temperature controlled fermentation tanks, ferment, store in barrels, rack, filter, and bottle all on the ranch. Consequently, our wines are now “Estate Bottled.”

Pursuitist: Burbank Ranch has won multiple awards, and the Vineyard is still young. What are your thoughts on these accolades? And which one was the most surprising to you?

Interior Tasting Room, Burbank Ranch

Melody:  Our intention from the beginning of this adventure was to produce high quality grapes that lead to producing excellent wines. While Fred and I have both earned London-based Wine & Spirit Educational Trust (WSET) Level II Sommelier Certification, and we knew our farming practices were top notch and we thought our wines are fantastic, I still wanted outside evaluation of our initial wines to feel confident that we could produce world-class wines.

Four Winning Burbank Ranch Wines

Our first vintage was 2010.  My favorite wine, our 2010 Cabernet Franc, won “Best in Class” at the six-county, Central Coast Wine Competition in July of 2012. It went on to win a “Double Gold” award at the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest competition of American wines in the world. This recognition confirmed my confidence in our wines.Since then, our wines have won awards at competitions across the country.

A Few Recent Burbank Ranch Wine Wins

 Pursuitist: Where do you see Burbank Ranch in the next few years? Is there room for expansion?

Melody:  Through wine competitions we have shown that we can produce high-quality grapes and from these grapes produce high-quality wines.  The next step for the Ranch is breaking into commercial sales.  Showing our wines in the tasting room and selling wine from that facility is pleasant and rewarding. And, in a sense, it is relatively simple.  Customers have self-selected themselves as interested in a new wine experience.  They have traveled some distance to reach the Ranch.  And, generally, they are not in a hurry.

Tasting Room Table, Set For Private Tastings

Commercial sales are an entirely different process.  Picture a busy mother, with her 3 year-old child in the shopping cart, pushing rapidly through the supermarket.  She is planning an evening dinner, gathering the items needed.  She reaches the wine aisle.  Ugh!  How does she choose wine to match her dinner? Does she do it by country of production, grape type, or wine maker style?  Or does she just buy on price?  Maybe label look?  Unlike the tasting, room, no one is standing in the aisle ready to talk her through the maze.

Consequently, the next step is the commercialization of the sale of Burbank Ranch wines.

Pursuitist: Finally, what are a few lessons you have learned in this process of owning and building a successful vineyard and winery? Has the Vineyard created different priorities for you, in some way or ways?

Fred:  We were very fortunate to have excellent consultants for phases of Ranch development that were foreign to us. I have learned about soil and water evaluation, irrigation planning, root-stock and grape clone matching, plant spacing, and vine training systems — each required expert help. None of this was a surprise.  And each phase had time boundaries. We knew when the phase would begin, and we knew when it would end.

Melody:

One of the simple fascinating things that I’ve learned is that farming depends a lot on Mother Nature. Of course I’ve always heard that but experiencing it over the last eight years has been eye opening, interesting and fun. Though we love rain, we can also get stuck in the mud. Though we love sun, it can also be too hot. Our grapes love balance, just as we do.

Freshly Picked Grapes From The Vineyard.

Our Ranch manager, Ruben, often says that working in the vineyard, and keeping all the 78,573 grapevines happy is like having 78,573 children. We feel that way also – each day, we care for them, and their nurturance. We know they are living things, and if we are good to them, they will be good to us. And they have.

The Fruit Of The Burbank Vines at Sunset

 The post The Vintners’ Vision : The Burbank Ranch Estate Vineyard and Winery appeared first on Pursuitist.

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[wine-porn]

Choo-Choo

It was not my intention to open two Mourvedre’s back-to-back, but this thing called to me from the cellar tonight and I answered. Is it different from last night’s Monastrell? Night and day. And this is not something from the blingy throes of #winebro West-side Paso, but solid, perfectly articulated fare from the Templeton Gap out in El Pomar. Black and dense, the inky thinning to turbid-clear at…

[wine-porn]

Detention

Pale canary with powerful structure attacking nearly as spritz. Ripe peach, pear and soggy newsprint in the nose, sweet and angsty and beautiful though with a chalky angularity lined with Italian parsley and freshly-shampooed malamute. The micro-air suspended in the glass release sharp and biting on the tongue, driving an early softness into hard theory. The complexity of the nose goes awash in…

[wine-porn]

Paso Reserve

I purchased this at the winery after they came up on my radar and I made one of my extremely rare direct-visits to a Paso producer. A super-Tuscan blend from head-trained, dry-farmed cab and sangio vines in their front yard–from memory. Visiting it at ten explains easily why I was attracted. Nice amber brick in the glass, a ridiculously gorgeous nose of oak and leather–savory and spicy–over…

[wine-porn]

Worthy

Here’s a new one. To me at least–and to the Paso Robles tasting scene. Popped in here in my recent jaunt to Paso as a last-minute “Have you ever heard of these guys?” “Nope.” “OK Let’s go in!” I’m guessing–based on vibe in the TR–a local rancher deciding to get into the wine business. I was rolling my eyes pretty hard–gotta admit–but the wines turned out to be ROCK-SOLID and I brought home a few…

[wine-porn]

Tempranillo Goals

SLO County hits pretty hard on the Iberian varieties: not just Edna Valley’s fascination with Albarino, but Paso Robles has numerous wineries putting out classic, well-done Tempranillo–not to mention Garnacha and Carinena–there’s even a little Mencia. Out on the east-side, in the vast rolling hills of El Pomar District, the dry climate, cooling influence of the Templeton Gap and gobs of sunshine…

[wine-porn]

"California"

“California”

Grapey grapey grapey, all fresh and up front, but simultaneously wracked with black pepper and the square mint chocolate chip of a thousand Thrifty stores. Shrill and unbelievably concentrated in the nose, a black funky streak of peat tries hard to stave off the burn. Warm and gushing like your best Paso Syrah and green and edgily brilliant like your Tannat cousin from Mendocino who beats to a…

[wine-porn]

Lights & Sirens +1

Lights & Sirens +1

Wow. This is a ripe, juicy lil bish. Dark ruby–nearly impenetrable density–with decadent lush berry concentration literally gushing from the glass. Stewed pie-filling at near-fruitcake candied-and spiced levels, side-alignments of fresh green alfalfa and dank loam no match for the thick black cherry–a generous layer of oak doing its part to sweeten and plump up the nose. I don’t know what’s in…

[wine-porn]

Ribbon on a Hog

Two wines with a lot in common at the opposite ends of the Paso Robles *rhone* spectrum. Wineries like this always dot burgeoning wine-country, and get pushed out as quality goes mainstream and the clientele gets smarter. Can’t really think of too many left in Napa-Sonoma, also drawing a blank on Santa Barbara wine country, but are plentiful starting in San Luis Obispo county and all the way up…

[wine-porn]

Shining Star

Shocking mint and toasted briar pour out of the glass, smoky charred fruit, crisp and carmelized, thick cherry reduced and liqueured, kept out of the pruney depths with copious cut green grass and perfect layers of bell pepper and eucalyptus. It is a heady, conspicuous nose, tarry fruit packed in densely–and well-coated with that Paso Robles sunny glow.

Lucky to have been privy to these wines…

[wine-porn]

Train Ride

Paso Cab just hits different. As any loyal reader knows, I drink a fair bit of Napa and Sonoma cab–and not a whole lot of Paso. Not really a conscience decision–just happenstance. And–unpopular opinon coming–I think Santa Margarita and the East-side make better cab than the blingy glory-holes of the coveted–and $$$–West-side. Clean and direct, showing all the things EYE like in a Cabernet. All…