April '12 Paso Robles Trip - Happy Birthday to Me

Leading up to a momentous birthday of mine, I knew that I wanted to enjoy the hell out of the celebration with good friends, and go somewhere new. Growing up in Northern California, I'd taken a number of trips along the Central Coast, but haven't been through the area in a long time. I'd heard a lot about the wines of Paso, and I've been very interested to check the region out. The region seemed pretty spread out as I started planning the trip, so I stuck to wineries on the west side of the 101, and even then, wineries that were either near Vineyard Dr. or in the Westside portion of the region.

Friday (Southwest)

L'Aventure Winery ($10 tasting, wines $25-$85)
'10 Rosé (Syrah/Cab), '10 "Optimus" (Syrah/Cab/Petit Verdot), '09 "Plus 16" (Mourvédre/Cab/Syrah), '09 Côte á Côte (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvédre), '09 Estate Cuvée (Syrah/Cab/Petit Verdot)
Owner and winemaker Stephan Asseo started out making wine in the Bordeaux region of France. Eventually he relocated to Paso Robles so that he could be more experimental with his wines.  Each wine is a red blend, but each has a different take. There were a few weird things about the tasting. The wines were really young, though the staff recommended that they all be aged several years. Also, the wines were high in alcohol - all were over 15% and the Côtes á Côtes was over 16%. That said, these were exciting wines. They definitely made the trip down the long dusty road worth it. The tasting room staff were supportive and intelligent.
Experience: B / Wines: B

Caliza Winery ($10 tasting, wines $23-$48)
'10 "Kissin' Cousins" (Viognier/Rousanne/Grenache Blanc), '10 "Pink" Rosé (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvédre/Primotivo), Shellstone '09 Grenache, "Sympatico" (Tempranillo/Grenache), '09 Syrah
I can't figure out what the deal was with Caliza. I had heard really great things about the winery, but I really didn't dig it. The room was nicely decorated and had lots of tchotchkes for sale. The first wine, the "Kissin' Cousins" white blend was way too sweet and did not have redeeming characteristics. None of the other wines persuaded us to change our opinion. Wines were clunky, hot, and lacked appealing flavors. It was a bummer of a visit, and it made me nervous that Paso wineries weren't up to snuff.
Experience: C / Wines: D+

Brian Benson Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $25-$45)
NV "Kandy Red" Red Blend (Zin/Grenache/Mourvédre), '08 Zinfandel, '08 "S&M" (Syrah/Mourvédre), '08 Syrah - Glenrose Vineyard, '06 Syrah - Denner Vineyard
APV - 15.2-16.5%(06 Syrah)

Brian Benson is the son of the owner of Dark Star Cellars (which is right next door), and has been involved with the winemaking process since he was a teenager. Both he and his father are hot rod enthusiasts, and that aesthetic carries over to the decor of the tasting room and the style of the wines. The dude working the tasting room was a fun guy - a self-described cellar rat. He was passionate about wine, and entertaining to talk to. I can appreciate that the wines have a specific take - big, bold, high-octane reds. That's not really my bag, but most of the wines were enjoyable to drink, especially the Zin and the '08 Syrah. The '06 Syrah had a bonkers smell to it. I thought it smelled like sushi seaweed - according to the Cellar Rat there are all sorts of comparisons that the scent has been compared to: soy sauce, tuna, and according to one sommelier: "fecal spice" (but in a good way). Brings new meaning to calling wine "the shit..."
Experience: B / Wines: C+

Saturday (Westside / Far Out Wineries)

JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery ($15 tasting, wines $22.50-$62)
'09 Viognier, '09 Cabernet Sauvignon, '09 Reserve Tempranillo, '09 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, '09 "ISOSCELES" (Cab/Cab Franc/Merlot)

I went into Justin wanting to hate it. I think that the best wineries are the small wineries, and that corporate wineries do not make a quality product, nor do they offer a worthwhile and personable experience. Justin is a big-ass winery. They may have started from humble beginnings in the Paso area, but now they are big fish. No matter what my anti-big-winery stance is, Justin did me right. Since we were a big group we had a private tasting in the barrel room - which was cool to check out. Our hostess was extremely attentive and very knowledgeable. The next day we went back to pick up a bottle of their Zin. The regular tasting room staff was very nice as well. The tasting room had all sorts of t-shirts, books, snacks, etc. for sale. The wines were very good - and well-priced for the quality, especially in comparison to other Paso wineries. The Viognier was insanely good. It hit all the right sweet, fruity notes, but had a macho quality. And the Reserve Cab knocked my socks off - I literally had no socks after that wine. The Tempranillo was not enjoyable for me. Generally I don't like Temps, and this one didn't have any upside for me. I'd rather have gone to Justin and said that their wine sucked, and been able to continue my crusade against big-ass-wineries, but I know when I'm forced to admit defeat.
Experience: B+ / Wines: A-

Chateau Margene ($10 tasting, wines $34-$58)
'10 Grenache Blanc, '10 Pinot Noir, '09 Cabernet Sauvingon, '08 Petit Sirah, NV "Pistolero" (Zin/Sangiovese/Merlot/Petit Sirah/Syrah)

Our visit to Chateau Margene started off a bit funky. I had made reservations to have our group visit at a specific time on Saturday, which was confirmed by email. Though when we arrived the tasting room had no idea that we were coming, and seemed a bit sketchy about our presence, and apparently did not realize that we were coming, though quickly Christina set us up outside on the patio and took good care of us. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we enjoyed the setting. Also we enjoyed the winery cat - Kit Kat - who was quite friendly until she decided to go grapenuts on our friend's hand. The wines poured were an eclectic mix - especially the last wine, the "Pistolero," which was basically leftover red wine, carefully blended together, and sold for $56 in a four liter box. None of the wines stood out as best of the day - but there were some interesting take-aways. No one in our group liked the Pinot. A handful in our group liked the Cab quite a bit, while others (including me), did not at all. Most folks liked the Petit Sirah pretty well. And a couple people (including me) thought that the "Pistolero" was pretty decent, while others strongly disliked it. Considering that all of the reds were +$50 and that none of the wines were above the pretty good level - Chateau Margene was not a weekend favorite.
Experience: B- / Wines: C

Calcareous Vineyard ($10 tasting, wines $28-38)
'09 Viognier, '08 Syrah, '08 "Tres Violet" (Syrah/Mourvédre/Grenache), '07 Meritage (Cab/Petit Verdot/Cab Franc/Merlot/Malbec), '08 York Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, '07 Cabernet Franc

I put Calareous on our trip list because I had heard pretty good things about the wine, and very good things about the location. I'd refine that recommendation slightly. Calcareous has reliably good wine, good staff, and indeed a very good location. The picnic area is well laid out, and the panoramic view is fantastic. Inside the tasting room, we were very well taken care of - or perhaps I was very well taken care of, I think I monopolized the attention of the dude who poured for us. He was very informative and patient with answering my bevy of questions. The wines themselves varied from good to very good. Each were solidly built, stayed within the norms for what flavors one would expect, and lacked a little bit of subtlety. My least favorite wine was the Meritage (which I just learned is what US producers typically label a Bordeaux style blend), my most favorite was the Tres Violet. Calcareous is definitely worth the visit, and is more than just a good view.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery ($5 tasting, wines $24-$42)
'09 Grenache, '09 Mourvédre, '09 GSM (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvédre), '09 Toasted Hill Syrah, '10 Late Harvest Viognier
A visit like the one that we had a Alta Colina is exactly the type of thing that my burgeoning wine nerd heart desires. A tiny, unassuming winery, where you get to talk at length with the winemaker at length about their product - it can't be beat. Bob Tillman was a very gracious host. When he retired from a technical profession, he decided to purchase a small vineyard to make Rhone-style wines. Less than ten years later, he is cranking out an excellent roster of wines. Speaking with Bob, it was interesting to hear about the creation process and the thinking that go into making wine. One tidbit that he told us was that when he's getting near to bottling wine, it's easy to tell what the opening flavors of the wine will be, and what the end flavors will be, but it's making sure that the middle flavor profile is well built to connect those two ends. Bob certainly seemed at ease with the technical aspects to wine growing and making, but he also seemed to have a artistic sensibility. All of the wines were well constructed and enjoyable to drink. Each of the reds seemed to be built from the same template - so that there were flavor profile similarities between them - so the wines weren't as diverse as I'd like between varietals. I enjoyed the GSM and the Late Harvest Viognier most - really awesome.
Experience: A- / Wines: B+

Villicana Winery ($5 tasting, wines 18-$32)
'10 Viognier, '10 Estate Vin Rosé, '09 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, '10 Zinfandel, '10 Estate Zinfandel
Yikes. Not sure what to do about this one. Villicana was highly suggested to me by my boss. Since my visit, he's been very interested in how I enjoyed it - and I have no idea how to respond. I really didn't enjoy it, but don't think that's going to fly. Our presence wasn't warmly received by tasting room staff, and they generally seemed stressed out by folks who were coming in. Compared to other wineries we visited that day, Villicana's wines did not impress. The Zin was pretty good, but was a high-octane 16.4% alcohol level (though the Estate Zin was at 17%!). Did not dig the other wines. At least they were more reasonably priced. I welcome any advice on how to break the news to my boss...
Experience: C- / Wines: D+

Sunday (Westside)

Tablas Creek Vineyard ($10 tasting, wines $20-$70)
'10 "Côtes de Tablas" Blanc (Viognier/Grenache Blanc/Marsanne/Roussanne), '09 Roussanne, '11 Rosé, '10 "Esprit de Beaucastel" Blanc (Roussanne/Grenache Blanc/Picpoul Blanc), '11 "Patelin de Tablas" Blanc (Grenache Blanc/Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne), '10 "Antihesis" (Chardonnay), '10 "Côtes de Tables" (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvédre/Counoise), '09 "Esprit de Beautcastel" (Mourvédre/Syrah/Grenache/Counoise), '04 "Esprit de Beautcastel" (Mourvédre/Syrah/Grenache/Counoise)
Where some other wineries in Paso seem to be seeking their identity, and trying to figure out what story to tell about their wines, Tablas Creek is firmly identified and at rest with their narrative. Tablas Creek derives it's inspiration from Châteauneuf du Pape - the premier growing region of the Rhone. The winery seems to put an abundant amount of energy into making great wine, and integrate biodynamic and sustainable principles. Their tent-pole wines are rhone-style blends. All if the blends showed admirable characteristics: the white - Tablas Blanc, the budget red - Patelin, the general red - Côtes, and the fancy red - Esprit de Beaucastel (which kicked ass). Also, the 100% Roussanne was awesome. There were a few less enjoyable wines, the Chardonnay especially. Our tasting room attendant was a bit jittery, but she was very helpful and seemed excited to share the wine. Overall, Tablas Creek is a very solid winery - one of Paso's premier joints.
Experience: B / Wines: A-

Halter Ranch Vineyard ($10 tasting, wines $16-$44)
'11 "Côtes de Paso" Blanc (Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Picpoul Blanc, Marsanne, Viognier), '09 "Ranch" White (Roussanne/Marsanne/Grenache Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc), '11 Rosé (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvédre/Picpoul), '09 "Côtes de Paso" (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvédre/Tannat/Counoise/Cinsault), '08 Cabernet Sauvignon, '07 Cabernet Sauvignon - Vineyard 41, '09 Zinfandel, '06 "El Pecado" Syrah Dessert Wine
I was interested in visiting Halter Ranch because they are featured as a SIP Certified winery. SIP stands for "Sustainability in Practice," which is a Central Coast based rating system that comprehensively evaluates a winery's sustainability practices. Halter Ranch really touts their efforts toward this program - which definitely floats my boat. The grounds are quite nice - very relaxing. The attendant was a very nice conversationalist and helpful. I really enjoyed Halter Ranch's wines. They all were showing good flavors and balance, and were well priced. The "Ranch White" and the Cab were the standouts. In comparison to the other big hits of the weekend (Justin, Alta Colina, and Tablas Creek) I did not feel that I was as moved by Halter Ranch, but that could have been because it was the end of a long weekend - I'll definitely swing by Halter Ranch next time we're around to give it a fresh look.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+

Wine of the trip - Tablas Creek's Roussanne. I've rarely had Roussanne, and I've never really noticed it before. This bad-ass dude did me right though. Very refined flavors, light notes, but also managed to have some heft.

Paso is a beautiful place. The west side wineries are surprisingly distant from one another, which gives an opportunity to take in the sights - rolling hills, old oak canopies, olive and walnut orchards, of course vineyards - while traveling between them. It's a serene experience. I think that environment rubs off on the people that we met. Folks were mellow, though excited to share wine. They were helpful and fun. On the spectrum of wineries that we decided to go to, there was a large disparity. Either the winery was very good to awesome (Justin, Tablas Creek, Alta Colina, Halter Ranch, Alta Colina), or the winery was sub-par and often over-priced - with a few exceptions. That countered my expectation. Based on the input that I had gotten while prepping for the trip, I had expected a slew of solidly good wineries. I'm wondering if this hit or miss situation is because of the types of wines that are being produced. Many wineries that we checked out are producing Rhone blends. I'd hypothesize, those styles of wines take a high degree of difficulty to make well. If you do make them well - you're golden, if not you're making high-alcohol fruit bombs. Luckily while we were visiting we got a bunch of recommendations for other wineries to check out - so we'll be ready to take on more Paso next time we're up.