A Taste of Paso Wines - New Friends

I missed my old friends when I visited A Taste of Paso Wines, including Hug Cellars, Villicana, Vines on the Marycrest, Midlife Crisis, and Tobin James just to name a few. With that being said, it was great making new acquaintances with the wineries that were there. And some of whom are literally very, very new!

Let’s go down the list, where I can talk about them and their wines. These aren’t in any particular order, as I found myself flipping through my notebook making additional notes as the day wore on. I have to admit that palate (and brain) fatigue set in later in the day, and the only thing I could really taste by evening were the dessert wines. I can say with confidence that I didn’t taste any bad wines. They ranged from “good” to “mindless weekend with George Clooney” in quality.

Some of the wineries I met for the first time have been around awhile, of course. That’s what made it fun … I

finally got to meet some of those that for whatever reason (major holiday weekend, for example), I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet beforehand. Here are a few of them as well as some who are just releasing their first wines.

Kaleidos had come highly recommended by fellow Paso-philes, and I couldn’t agree more. We tasted the three wines that they offered, and enjoyed each one. The 2005 Kaleidos Morpheus is an SGM blend with an incredibly dark color and body. The 2004 Osiris is a 50/50 Grenache Mourvedre blend that surprised me with the strawberry and spice on the palate. They only made 48 cases of this wine. And finally, there was the 2004 Syrah, which is 100% Syrah. And, of course, it had the bold spice, pepper, leather, that you’d expect from a Paso Syrah. Only 148 cases made.

Remember the mention of the guy who told me that he had the great legs? Well, as it turned out, it was Edward Sellers of Edward Sellers Winery. Ed Sellers is quite a character, with a demented sense of humor and sparkling personality. By the time I got to his table, I had already realized that I had to keep my tasting limited and to be very particular. His wines were some of the last that I tasted. His 2005 Cuvee des Cinq in particular, was

a classic Cotes du Rhone in every way except without the barnyard character, which Ed said would develop with time. It was a wonderful wine, and I loved the rich fruit and lush mouthfeel.

Vina Robles is not a brand new winery, and we actually have their logo on our logo page. But this was my first time meeting them and having the opportunity to taste their wines. This was still early in the day and my palate was fresh. Their wines, according to Derek Rodgers and his wonderful spouse Rebecca, is 100% estate grown. We tasted the Sauvignon Blanc, which was very New Zealand in style, with apricot, grapefruit, melon, and gooseberry on the nose and palate. We also enjoyed the Rose, which was a real shocker for us. It has raspberries, watermelon, strawberries, pepper, and lip-smacking cranberries on the nose and palate. The shocker was that Derek said that in California, at least, it’s less than $10.00 a bottle. What a great summer house wine! We weren’t able to make any purchases at the event however. Good thing. I’d be broke(r) by now!

We met Allure, which even though they have their own vineyards and grow their own grapes, do not make wine. They make wine-based vinegars. And the vinegars are so good as to be drinkable. Their vinegars are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel. Grenache and Chardonnay, raspberry and pomegrante. Quite selection and, as I said before, all drinkable. In spite of the fact that they are made from wine grapes, they really aren’t very “winey.” The flavor is distinctly vinegar, with the grape varietals adding complexity. This ain’t your momma’s white vinegar!

AronHill is a relatively new winery, and I had the privilege of tasting two of the wines that they had available. The first one I tasted was their Sauvignon Blanc, which was classic in the ways that I like; it had the crisp, clean aromas of grapefruit, lemon, and grass, and was quite refreshing. A palate cleanser, it would be an excellent “breakfast” wine. And then I had the Estate Grown Cabernet. Full and rich, it had the typical aromas and flavors you’d expect of Cabernet, along with a wonderful integration of the tannins. Quite a nice surprise from such a young winery. The Cabernet is extremely drinkable and, frankly, a nice wine.

Calcareous is a winery that I’ve guiltily driven past each time I’ve been to Paso. So I welcomed this opportunity to get to meet them. They had their Twisted Sister line with them at this tasting, and I enjoyed a sip of the Bordeaux blend.

Other wineries that I met were Clavo, a new winery based in Templeton; Jada, located on Winery Road, and Bianchi, who has been in Paso Robles for quite a long time and whose Burgundian-style Pinot Noir speaks to my Pinot soul.

I must give special mention to Ranchita Canyon and Cinquain, who, like Clavo, are two brand new wineries

showcasing their offerings for the first time. Cinquain made its first release in May of this year, so they are infants compared to everyone else! David and Beth Nagengast are the proprietors, and among their other offerings, had a wonderful Port that I was able to enjoy even though it was at the end of the evening and my palate had given up the ghost.

I met Bill Hinrichs of Ranchita Canyon earlier in the evening and both Rod and I nodded in unison as we sampled their basket-pressed wines. They’ve actually been growing grapes for many years for other winemakers, and are now using their coveted grapes for their own label.

Thanks to these wineries and others for sharing their wonderful wines and giving us the opportunity to meet them.

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