Paso Robles/Cambria Recommendations

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Andy Beaton

Andy Beaton
I'm heading up to Cambria in a few weeks and I'm wondering if there are any wineries worth visiting? As for the the obvious ones, what I've tasted from Tablas Creek leads me to believe that the area is just too goddamn hot when all is said and done, although I have no experience with the pricey stuff and I've never had anything from Denner. It seems like the most likely places for more restrained kinds of wines is west Paso and, maybe, something off the beaten path closer to the Pacific or up in the Cienega Valley. Thanks in advance!
 
Andy, I think that you either buy into the concept that Paso gets more heat than Beaune and adjust your standards and expectations accordingly during your visit and enjoy the wines for what they are, or maybe just go somewhere else on a wine trip.

That being said, the region isnt a total loss in terms of what to taste when you get there.

Derby Wine Estates is the new kid on the block. They've got vineyards on the east side and the west side, but they also have a vineyard in San Simeon planted to pinot noir and pinot gris (and blueberries). Yields last year were around 800 pounds per acre and the quality is very good and the site's got tremendous potential (although maybe not economically). Worth checking out if you're in the area. The other wines at Derby are also worth keeping an eye on.

The pinots from Windward are also good - they're grown right there in the Templeton Gap and there's enough cool air blowing through there to make drinkable PN. I like them after they've spent a couple of years in the bottle but they show okay on release.

Tablas Creek does indeed make some interesting wine, but I find that it usually falls sorta halfway between CA and France in intent, if not execution. I don't know if that's due to viticulture or enology, but they'll probably figure it out someday.

I'd also recommend a visit to Villa Creek Winery - the wines are big but they're balanced and winemaker Cris Cherry is doing some really nice work. He's got a pretty good take on what's happening wine-wise in the area and will help you understand what's to like about the wine being made there these days.

Also to note, Paso Robles is becoming a town worth dining in. The Villa Creek restaurant not only has an excellent wine list (two vintages of Allemand there the last time I stopped in) but the food works well with the Paso Robles wines that they offer in addition to the foreign selections. All the ingredients going into the dishes at Villa Creek are sourced from within 100 miles of the place, with much of it grown specifically for them by local farmers and ranchers. Artisan is also worth a dinner visit, as is Bistro Laurent (both in downtown Paso). For lunch, stop by Farmstand 46, a sandwich/deli/produce place run by Tom Fundaro, chef at Villa Creek. 15˚Celsius is a wine shop and winebar in Templeton that carries a good selection of the local juice as well as stuff from France, Spain, and Italy.

-Eden (I remember back when Foster's Freeze and KFC constituted haute cuisine in Paso Robles)
 
Gold star Eden. Thanks! It's not really a wine trip, but you gave me plenty of leads to make a nice day of Paso.

What do we know/how do we feel about Bassetti?
 
I can't say that I've tasted the Bassetti wines but I've liked most of what I've tasted by other labels sourcing from from them. It's my understanding that the vineyard was planted under the direction of John Alban so the clonal selection is probably ideal for the site (John's way deep into such things). The Hug wines I've had from the Bassetti vineyard are quite good.

Now that I've had a little time to think about it, you should check out Ambyth Etate (http://www.ambythestate.com/). They're biodynamic and the wines are excellent. Nice, passionate people too.

Neil Collins (Tablas Creek winemaker) is also behind Lone Madrone Winery (http://www.lonemadrone.com/) where he works with grapes such as Picpoul, Nebbiolo, Tannat, and other varieties that aren't exactly the stuff of mass-markets.

While in the area you might ask around to see if you can find any wine from Bodega de Edgar to taste. B de E is a small operation (maybe a couple-hundred cases) run by Edgar Torres, who IIRC works with Augie Hug. He's working with Tempranillo and Syrah and also offers a blend. They stood out to me as having more than the usual amount of refinement (and less of an oversunned character) than most of the other wines poured at a big Paso Robles tasting last year. I might think otherwise were I to taste the wine today, but the wines were certainly memorable back then. I should definitely revisit them when I'm next in the area.

-Eden (while at Villa Creek winery you should taste through some of the Aglianico and Nebbiolo that he's working with there- I believe that Paso has tremendous potential for these two varieties)
 
I've liked Hug's Bassetti offerings too, although they don't work with that fruit anymore. I was pleasantly suprised by Adelaida on a recent trip - the HMR Vyd pinot and cab are quite good, and they're also working with nebbiolo and touriga nacional.

If you're staying in and around Cambria, don't miss the Black Cat - a great place to sample the local juice (Lone Madrone, Bassetti, etc). http://www.blackcatbistro.com/

And I will point out that two major destinations on the taco trail are close by - Chapala in Morro Bay and Rudells in Cayucos. Chapala gets my nod for their shrimp tostadas, but Ruddells is nothing short of a cultural experience...

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originally posted by fillay:
I've liked Hug's Bassetti offerings too, although they don't work with that fruit anymore. I was pleasantly suprised by Adelaida on a recent trip - the HMR Vyd pinot and cab are quite good, and they're also working with nebbiolo and touriga nacional.

If you're staying in and around Cambria, don't miss the Black Cat - a great place to sample the local juice (Lone Madrone, Bassetti, etc). http://www.blackcatbistro.com/

And I will point out that two major destinations on the taco trail are close by - Chapala in Morro Bay and Rudells in Cayucos. Chapala gets my nod for their shrimp tostadas, but Ruddells is nothing short of a cultural experience...

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Augie Hug is definitely worth meeting...quite a neat guy
 
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