While at the Grand Paso Robles Tasting Tour in San Diego I came across a very friendly man who was sneaking tastes of his reserve Mouvedre from behind his table to interested tasters with such infectious pleasure that I couldn't help but love the wine. Unfortunately the table was busy enough that I did not get to speak with him, but I took a mental note that next time I was in Paso Robles I had to taste the wines of Calcareous. While I have not confirmed, I imagine the pourer was winemaker and general manager Damian Grindley, whose on boarding at Calcareous and coinciding production of their own estate fruit has produced some nice results in more recent vintages. Calcareous was originally a joint venture between Lloyd Messer, a wine and beer distributor from Iowa, and his daughter Dana Brown who continues to own and manage the winery. They produce estate grown bottling under the Calcareous label, and wines made from both estate and purchased fruit under the Twisted Sister label, which tend to be less expensive. The vineyards and tasting room are located about 4 miles directly west of downtown Paso Robles and worth a visit for the views and setting alone.
The wines:2007 Twisted Sister White Rhone Blend - 50% viognier, and 50% marsanne this wine had a nose of honey and citrus with a touch of oak. It was simple but bright with grapefruit and honey on the palette and came across as rather crisp and delicious. 3 out of 5 but a bit overpriced for what it offered at $25.
2008 Calcareous Marsanne - This wine did not have a big nose, as I expect from a marsanne, but offered hints of fresh apple. The wine was a bit oaky with some nectarine and stone fruits. It had a full body and richness that was pleasant with just a touch of alcohol showing through on the end. Also rated at 3 out of 5 and retailing for $28.
2007 Calcareous Pinot Noir York Mountain - I'm often a little leery of pinot that is grown in Paso Robles as it just seems too hot and this one, in my opinion, proved me right. It had a brambly, cherry nose with some green herb flavors in it. The wine was very fruity with darker black cherry flavors, some big herbs in the middle and a very strawberry finish. The wine was pleasant enough to drink but did not represent the subtlety of a good pinot noir. The wine gets a 3 out of 5, and for $34 is not recommended.
2006 Calcareous Zinfandel - Now this is a varietal I think does great in Paso Robles. It was a beautiful bright red color, and also smelled of bright red fruit with a touch of vanilla. The wine tasted of big red berries and jammy fruit, some wonderful spicy black pepper action, and then a medium finish. This wine is 3.5 out of 5 and a buy at $28.
2006 Calcareous Syrah - This syrah gave off a restrained nose of dried fruit and flowers. It had cherry and red berry flavors with some great spiciness that added complexity to the wine. It finished with some distinct but not overpowering tannins that held the earthy spice in place for a great finish. This wine gets a 4 out of 5 and is a strong recommend at $34.
2007 Twisted Sisters Syrah - This wine is obviously younger than the other syrah offering but had a tighter earthy and smoky nose that I think would be really great if I had time to let the wine decant for an hour (not encouraged in a busy tasting room apparently). The wine gave less fruit forward flavors of dried cherry, potting soil, green herbs, and some subtle spice. I really enjoyed this version of the syrah but it was slightly less complex and structured at this stage. Drinking the way it does now I give this wine a 3.5 out of 5. It retails for $25.
2006 Calcareous Cabernet Sauvignon York Mountain - The cabernet gave a very fresh nose of raspberry and vanilla. The fruit drank a little darker, but offered a rather terroir driven earthiness expected in more expensive cabernets and held the fruit in great balance with acid and a strong sense of structure. It was not the most complex cabernet sauvignon I have tasted but at $34 and with a score of 3.5 it is worth buying.
The Mouvedre is available from the winery as well, for $42, and comes highly recommended, however they were not pouring it this day (in their defense they did offer to when I said it was the wine that brought me there). Overall I thought the wines of Calcareous are of a good quality for the price that they are offered, and as the winemaker and estate fruit becomes even more established I anticipate the quality will continue to increase. For now they are certainly worth a stop if you are in Paso Robles, and worth a purchase if you come across them in the store or restaurant.
0 comments:
Post a Comment