One of my wine clubs, actually, my only wine club, is with Castoro Cellars in Paso Robles, California. After sampling a few of their wines I knew it was time to revisit this wonderful wine region. I also visited the new tasting room for Justin Wine Cellars, which was almost as amazing as their wines. Join me there near the central coast where excellent wines have been made for decades.
Paso Robles Wine Region
It has been a while since I reported on one of my favorite wine regions, even though I’ve been enjoying many of its wines. Unlike Sonoma and Napa Valley, this region on the central coast of California, Paso Robles greets everyone with a warm welcome, lower charges on tasting fees, and high quality wines that don’t break the bank.
In the mid-80s my wife and I began sampling wines from Paso Robles on the Central Coast. The Paso Robles Wine Festival began in 1983 with 17 wineries sharing their craft in the warmth of the beautiful and bucolic Paso Robles Downtown City Park. That was also the first year we went there. That festival grew quickly as more and more wineries came into existence. There were 115 wineries offering wine at the May, 2023 festival.
One of our most fun explorations was the out-of-the-way Caparone Winery. Founded in 1979, Caparone is the place to visit for red wines in Paso Robles. Caparone is a pioneer of Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Aglianico Italian varietals in California. The unfined and unfiltered, intensely elegant big reds have established a cult-like following over the years. I lost count how many barrel samples we tried.
We loved the area so much we eventually purchased a home in the seaside town of Cambria. We have watched Paso Robles grow from a small community of 20 wineries to over 200 now. Where once it was a single AVA with districts we were well-versed in, it now boasts 11 AVAs under those same names.
This is how sub-AVAs are created. An area has unique characteristics that ultimately define the character of the wines. Locals know these areas and word of mouth spreads. Eventually the local winery association, and there always is one, submits details to the TTB (Tax & Trade Bureau) and a new AVA is created, but not overnight. Those requests were submitted in 2007 and accepted in 2014 by the TTB.
Paso Robles History
- 1882: The Rancho Paso de Robles Mexican land grant was purchased by James and Daniel Blackburn and their partner Drury James, thus naming the town El Paso de Robles
- 1889: Indiana rancher Andrew York established Ascension Winery, known today as York Mountain Winery, planting some of the region’s earliest Zinfandel vines.
- York Mountain Winery was closed in 2003, quake damaged, purchased by Epoch Wine Estates in 2010 and reopened in 2016.
- 1922: Famous Polish concert pianist Ignace Paderewski planted Petite Sirah and Zinfandel on his Rancho San Ignacio vineyard in the Adelaida area
- 1923: Frank Pesenti planted Zinfandel on his property; winery not bonded until 1934
- 1925: The Dusi family purchased land to plant a vineyard; now known as the Benito Dusi Vineyard, these old head-pruned Zinfandel vines are still in production
Late 1960s/early 1970s
- Stanley Hoffman, under the guidance of U.C. Davis and legendary enologist André Tchelistcheff (chela – chef) one of the first Masters of Wine (MW) in California and celebrated vineyard consultant Jack Foote, planted some of the region’s first Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay on his 1,200-acre ranch
- 1970s: Hoffman Mountain Ranch Winery was the first large-scale modern facility in the area
- 1973 – 1977: Gary Eberle and Cliff Giacobine planted 700 acres, including the first modern commercial acreage of Syrah in the state and established Estrella River Winery, the largest winery in the area (purchased in 1988 by Nestle/Beringer)
- 1983: The 556,765-acre Paso Robles AVA was established
- Paso Robles AVA named Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2013 Wine Region of the Year
- 2014: TTB approved 11 districts within the Paso Robles AVA
Sub-AVAs covered below
- Adelaida District: Adelaida, Justin, Daou, Tablas Creek
- Templeton Gap District: Peachy Canyon, Castoro Cellars, Turley, Tin City
Wine map from Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.
Paso Robles grapes
Overall, Paso Robles Wine Country encompasses more than 40,000 vineyard acres within the 614,000 total acres that make up the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area.
The most widely planted varieties in the Paso Robles appellation are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Chardonnay. The “Other Red” category is where varieties such as Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, and many others are grouped. Cabernet Sauvignon represents almost 40% of the total and Zinfandel about 8%, but this is where I go to get wonderful Zins.
Adelaida District: Wine Folly
The following was extracted from a very good article at winefolly.com, my favorite website for wine info.
Few places in the world can master both Rhône blends and Bordeaux blends, but the Adelaida District is one. The cool nights and limestone soils produce perfumed and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon with structure, ripe tannins, and acidity, meaning many of them can improve for decades to come.
That freshness is in the Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre blends, many of which have higher acidity levels than those found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. These spiced black plum and full-bodied wines with minerality are extraordinary and can cellar just as long as the top French wines.
For dry white wines there are fragrant, sumptuous yet elegant Viognier and Rhône blends of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussanne. These wines have a linear and refreshing style with flavors of honey, spice, and a mineral backbone.
- Terroir: The combination of limestone, elevations up to 2200 feet in the Santa Lucia Mountains, and the wind and fog from the Templeton Gap make the Adelaida district a great place for wine.
- With over 30 inches (760 mm) of rain a year, it is the wettest region in Paso Robles, meaning many vineyards are dry-farmed (rare in California).
Limestone soils retain water in the drier summer months meaning vines can thrive despite the lack of rain during July and August. This, along with the alkaline limestone soils, allows grapes to hold their acidity. Wines are super fresh, despite daytime temperatures that can exceed 100°F in summer.
- That unique limestone soil also means more flavor and texture coming through in the skins of grapes, meaning deeply colored, tannic, yet highly flavorful red wines.
- The Fog Monster, as the locals have named the marine fog rolling through the Templeton Gap from the Pacific Ocean, covers low-lying vineyards, helping keep things cool.
- If grape growers need warmth they plant above the fog line, about 1000 ft. But for planting a grape that doesn’t need as much heat, like Viognier, they can plant below the fog line.
Notable wineries:
- DAOU: One of USA’s best Cabernet Sauvignons, produced by Daniel Daou, planting in 2007.
- Tablas Creek – One of the first pioneers of Rhône varieties in California, Tablas Creek has been a partner with the family of Châteauneuf-du-Pape winery Beaucastel since 1987.
- Adelaida Vineyards – With a history going back to the 1960s when the first vines (Pinot Noir) were planted in Adelaida District, this winery is a great for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Justin Wine Cellars: Just a few miles down Paso Robles’ Chimney Rock Road is where, in 1981, founder Justin Baldwin planted his first vines in hopes of one day crafting Bordeaux-styled blends worthy of their French counterparts. Today, amongst stunning views, world-class accommodations, Michelin-recommended dining, and with plenty of exceptional wines, they have done just that.
Their new tasting room just off the Paso Robles Common was a must visit, and the facility is most impressive. Separate booths are set up and a staff member assists each visitor in a tasting. I ended up buying nearly a case so they are good. The winery is also a must visit with stellar views, an Inn onsite, food and wine events, motor biking through the vineyards and tasting the special cellar wines.
For your consideration: Justin Isosceles 2020, 15% ABV, $85
This is their flagship wine, a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot; a classic Bordeaux blend, which changes every year. This is a very sought after wine and many of its fans join the Justin wine club so they can secure their allotment.
Templeton Gap
The terroir of the Templeton Gap District possesses ideal conditions for the cultivation of excellent wine grapes, with shallow to moderate soil rooting depths, moderate water stress, modest nutrient levels, and the cool climate and long growing season that allows a diverse amount of wine grapes to flourish.
It’s no wonder why this area was identified so long ago as a prime area to grow some of the first commercially available wine grapes and wines in not just Paso Robles, but California. Today there are approximately 20 wineries in the 35,000-acre area that is the Templeton Gap District.
The geology of the Templeton Gap District is essentially a result of uplift from the Santa Lucia Range west of the Rinconada fault as well as a lot of erosion of the soft Monterey formation marine shale, mudstones, siltstones, and sandstones. The eastern slope of the Santa Lucia Range dramatically rises from the Salinas River, forming the western and northern boundaries of the district.
I’ve bicycled west highway 46 many times; a dramatic wind-sown region, which is the Templeton Gap, between Cambria along the coast. There is a slight overall topographic elevation drop that aligns with Estero Bay, as well as east to west ravines that are conducive to channeling airflow. Although Estero Bay does not have a submarine canyon, water remains cold year-round, adding to the climatic uniqueness of the region through advection fog, which is the combination of a cool surface mixing with warm moist air.
Castoro Cellars:
Niels and Bimmer Udsen established Castoro Cellars in 1983 with the goal of producing world-class wines from Paso Robles appellation grapes. Niels got started in the Paso Robles wine business while attending California Polytech in San Luis Obispo.
The Udsens first made and sold the wine, then purchased their own equipment, the winery, the tasting room, and then began purchasing and planting vineyards. A fairly typical way to start unless you can get significant funding
Castoro’s tasting room is in Templeton off scenic Highway 46 West and the winemaking facility is located on the East Side of Paso Robles in San Miguel. Both facilities opened in 1990.
- Castoro Cellar’s winemaker is Tom Myers.
- The winery currently has over 1,400 acres of Estate vineyards, which are certified organic by CCOF and all the vineyards are SIP Certified. (Sustainability in practice)
For your consideration: Castoro Cellars 2020 Merlot, 13.9% ABV, $20
This is one of the best under $30 Merlots I have ever tasted with excellent balanced of fruit, acidity, tannins and alcohol. The tech sheet details are below.
Tech sheet: Appearance: Ruby-garnet, aroma: Plum, cherry-cola, vanilla, earth and oak, Palate: Medium to full body, dark fruits and oak with soft tannins
Tasting notes: Varietal: 82% Merlot, 9% Petite Sirah, 9% Tannat
Vineyard: Jack Knife, Cobble Creek, Blind Faith, and Jack Creek. Harvest date: First Half October 2020 Bottling: September 21, 2021 Harvest sugar: 24.2˚ brix Oak: French and American Oak age: 9 months.
For your consideration: Canned Zinfusion 2020, 14.4%, $30
Zinfusion is a coveted wine amongst Zin lovers! This Paso Robles Zinfandel is a marriage of Estate grown Zinfandel, Primitivo and Petite Sirah. The 4-pack cans are each 250ml, or 1/3 of a bottle. Consider them emergency rations you cam carry in your backpack.
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