Highlights from Paso Robles Grand Tasting in San Diego

I went to my first real wine event this week in San Diego, the Paso Robles Grand Tasting Tour. It consisted of around 40 wineries from the Paso Robles AVA pouring their wines and meeting people in an effort to reacquaint or introduce the trade and public to the huge number of wines that are coming out of this region. The event was organized as a walk around tasting and the wineries sent a wide variety of representation. There were pourers, sales reps, family members, and some of the winemakers themselves. It was an interesting experience for me and while I opted not to take real tasting notes I will offer a few standouts, followed by a few observations about my experience:


Standouts

• Anglim Winery 2007 Hastings Ranch Vineyard, Mourvedre. This wine had lots of white pepper spiciness, coffee, and some great earthy notes that just made it one of the more interesting wines to taste.


• Calcareous 2008 Twisted Sister, Chardonnay. I know that Paso is not a huge Chardonnay region but this wine was fruity and round, just creamy enough without being a big butter ball from too much oak or heavy handed malolactic fermentation. It was really just a pleasure to drink, and at a great price point ($25) for its quality.


• Sylvester Vineyards & Winery 2008 Kiara Reserve, Sauvignon Blanc. Soft with citrus and mineral notes, and a touch of that varietally appropriate grassiness, with a nice price tag ($15)


• Treana Red 2006, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, from Hope Family Wines. Nice big dark fruit, plums, and some cherry followed by great spiciness from the Syrah made this $50 wine one of my favorites.


• Minassian-Young Vineyards White Rhonocerous 2008. This Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne blend had lots of floral and honey aromas, and nice honey and melon tastes that were coupled with an interesting mineral feel mid-palette.
  

And my favorite overall wineries at this tasting were:

• Clavo Cellars - Winemaker Neil Roberts makes some small production wines that really reflect his committment to the fruit itself. He started as a grape grower and carried this experience into his philosophy in crafting his wines. The grapes come first, and it shows. These wines have real personality and stood out amongst the crowd. His 2005 Collusion, 57% Malbec, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot was spicy and smooth, and had a long distinct finish with some nice tight tannins. But his Syrah and Zinfanel single varietal bottlings were excellent as well. I highly recommend a visit to his website or if you are in Paso Robles to his tasting room to get a great sense of the greatness that can come out of Paso Robles.


• Calcareous I mentioned their Chardonnay above because it was my favorite Chardonnay that I tasted but their whole lineup of red wines was impressive as well. In particular I enjoyed the 2006 Meritage with its soft mouthfeel, bright red fruit flavors, and nice finish, and the Mourvedre single varietal bottling that he was sneaking tastes to (I don't even think they sell it). This winery is on the Westside of Paso Robles, and winemaker Lloyd Messer seems to really take his art seriously, but with a joy that is contagious when tasting his wines.

Alright, I'll finish off with a few observations about the event and my experience

• Spitting is messy, and while it is the responsible thing to do when I have to drive back to L.A. afterwards (and I did spit every sample) I need to learn how to do it without dying my chin, fingers, and everything in between bright purple. I can't imagine what I looked like about 2 hours in.
  
• There are people representing the wineries at these events who seriously don't understand blogs. I got completely ignored by a few people once they heard where I was from. One lady literally started taking phone calls and 'forgot' to pour while I was standing there. Others were just kind of oblivious with questions like, "Is that blog just available here locally?" Now there is TONS of debate within the wine blog world as to the reach, influence, and importance of blogs so it is no wonder that the farmers and winemakers themselves are still out of the loop, but in some cases I was surprised by people's reactions.


• My palette is not yet cut out for tasting upwards of 100 wines. I literally lost the ability to distinguish nuanced differences in the wines about halfway through. It really makes me question how the pros, those who sit in a sterile environment and give numbers to wine after wine all year long can do it. Now I recognize that they have much more refined palettes but it makes me think; I'm not surprised that their big scores go towards fruit forward big chewy tannin-y wines in general. Other nuances got lost on me really quickly and I can't imagine that this does not occur in constant sampling day after day. I could be wrong, but for me it reinforces that scores don't matter much.
• Finally, I learned more than ever before (because I have so infrequently tasted multiple wines right next to each other) that not all wines are created anywhere near equal. There were a lot of shitty wines at this event, several good ones, and a handful of great ones. The average consumer can not just know an AVA reputation, and what grapes they like and find a good bottle at the store. So my tiny little input of the day is that getting some of the over 140 producers from Paso Robles discussed in wine blogs DOES have an influence. Reading and tasting are truly the only way to cut through the overwhelming options you have as a consumer and have a better chance of finding something you like.