Tasting the heavyweights in Paso Robles

This past weekend was a good time to get to Paso Robles to sample wines from several of its acclaimed producers. I visited tasting rooms of four wineries, all coming off glowing reviews in the recently released edition of the Wine Advocate. And fortunately all had releases to show, as the top end of Paso Robles wine can sometimes be in short supply.

Tablas Creek Vineyard

The Westside of Paso Robles is home to some of the foremost producers of Rhône varietal blends in California. The region is anchored by the esteemed Tablas Creek Vineyard tucked away deep in the hills of Westside Paso. A partnership of the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf Du Pape and their American importers the Haas family, it can be fairly stated that Tablas Creek is Paso Robles’ truest version of Southern Rhône-style wines. The vineyard was planted on limestone soil familiar to the Southern Rhône Valley, and their resulting red blends are aged in large traditional French oak foudres.

Also emerging on Paso’s Westside have been a number of noteworthy producers such as Saxum, where Justin Smith’s limited production and high scores have rendered them as the “cult winery” of Paso Robles. Names such as L'Aventure, Denner, Booker, Villa Creek, Linne Calodo & Terry Hoage have been similarly lauded. These wineries are making rich and robust wines from mostly Rhône varietals in the bucolic hillsides of Westside Paso Robles around the Templeton Gap. The rocky calcareous soils, hot days with cool nights, and long growing season produces powerful and concentrated wines that have as much in common with Priorat as they do with the Rhône Valley. My visits took me to Terry Hoage Vineyards, Booker Vineyard, Villa Creek Cellars, and Linne Calodo.

Terry Hoage Vineyards

The winery and tasting room at Terry Hoage Vineyards sits atop a hillside overlooking the vineyards. The wines I tasted were all made from estate-grown Rhône varietals ranging from the lively 2011 Picpoul Blanc to several red blends. The reds are named from Hoage’s college and NFL football career. A pair of these so-named 2009’s were my favorites. The 2009 The 46 Grenache/Syrah (named for coach Buddy Ryan’s 46 defense from Hoage’s days with the Philadelphia Eagles) showed nice lavender and mineral notes to balance out the powerful fruit. The 2009 The Hedge Syrah (named for The Hedges at University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium- where Hoage played in college) showed powerful savory depth and length. Choose this link for reviews of all of the wines tasted.

Booker Vineyard

The tasting room at Booker Vineyard is similarly located amongst the winery and vineyards. Eric Jensen’s wines are powerful yet complicated and at times perplexing. The simply named 2010 Booker White is an unfined/unfiltered Roussanne/Viognier blend with partial fermentation on the skins. It's a rich and profound wine that I can’t stop thinking about. The 2010 Booker Oublie Extended Age 22 Months is a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise and Grenache. It's another cerebrally powerful wine with pinpoint concentration of crushed stone, red fruit, spice and mineral complexity. Choose the link for all of the wines tasted.

Villa Creek Cellars

A visit to Villa Creek Cellars takes you along quiet Peachy Canyon Road back toward downtown Paso Robles. You’re likely to pass wild turkeys along the side of the road while heading out so keep your eyes peeled! A pair of wines from the cool 2009 vintage stood out here. Adding Tempranillo into the mix, the 2009 Mas de Maha (Tempranillo/Grenache/Mourvedre/Carignan) threw down earth and clove with deep black fruit. The 2009 Damas Noir Mourvedre was filled with the long grip of smoke, pepper, anise and black fruit. What I liked at Villa Creek was the liveliness and structure of the wines. Choose the link for all of the wines tasted.

Wild turkeys along Peachy Canyon Road

The Mothership at Linne Calodo

Last stop was through the gates to the impressive cedar-built winery at Linne Calodo. The tasting was limited to three wines, so I counted the excellent 2010 Martyr (a Mourvedre/Syrah/Tannat/ Grenache blend) as two! Here I got layers of wild berries, dried lavender and crushed stone through a polished firm structure. Very nice indeed. Choose the link for all of the wines tasted.

From the best sites and in the right hands, this opulent style of wines in Paso’s Westside show the right touches of balance, several of which left an indelible mark in my memory. I’m interested to see how these wines age and/or hold in the bottle. Both the earliest examples of the more modern style of Saxum, and the more traditional style of Tablas Creek appear to be drinking well at 12 years of age according to recent CellarTracker notes. Some of the wines I tasted this weekend appear to be a worthy bet.