AWS pours Paso Robles – Écluse

On Saturday, April 19, at Marché Bacchus, our own Andy Ashbaugh, President of the Las Vegas chapter of the American Wine Society, poured some of the portfolio of Écluse winery of Paso Robles.

OF COURSE I was there!

Before I get to the wines, let me tell you a little about Écluse winery. One of the smaller wineries on the map, they began as grape growers for several wineries. This gave Steve and Pam the opportunity to interact with such Paso Robles wine notables as Linne Calodo and SummerWood. They used the lessons learned in this process to make the decision to craft their own wines, and have gone from grape growers to award-winning winemakers in just a few seasons.

Pam and Steve Lock are the owners/winemakers of Écluse. Écluse is French for the locks (get it?) on the canals that wind through French wine country. They have taken advantage of the natural microclimates to hone their winemaking skills and to develop some pretty nice, small production wines.

Andy poured the wines in their current portfolio, which are all reds. They are yummily as follows:

2005 Écluse Syrah

2005 Écluse “Rendition”
46% Syrah – 39% Grenache – 15% Mourvèdre

2005 Écluse Zinfandel

2005 Écluse Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Écluse “Ensemble”
50% Cabernet Sauvignon – 25% Petit Verdot - 20% Merlot – 5% Cabernet Franc

All were tasty with just a bit of that earthier Paso Robles terroir to set them apart. My personal favorite was the Rendition (I know, I know. Please try to hold down the surprise and shock), which is one of my favorite blends. I even like it better (gasp!) than Bordeaux!

Écluse wines are available at Marche Bacchus. Don’t forget to check them out on Saturdays, 11:30 to about 1:00 for free wine tastings. The wines are always top notch. And while you’re there, stay for lunch on their beautiful patio!

Keep sippin’!

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