Wine

With big varietal flavors and bold regional character, our 2014 Paso Robles Zinfandel opens with a pop, delivering a bright, complex nose of rhubarb, cherry, dried sage and barrel spices. The palate is smooth and long, supporting the luscious fruit with layers of molasses and cinnamon. The 2014 vintage threw some curve balls our way but our Paso Vineyards faired pretty well, producing wines with huge flavor, low alcohol and more pronounced fruit.

Vineyard

Located on the Central Coast, Paso Robles offers a diverse landscape with a variety of soils and microclimates. The Salinas River bisects the region, with the cooler, hillier vineyards up against the Santa Lucia Mountains on the west and the warmer, rolling hills and fertile soils to east. Coastal breezes slip in through the Templeton Gap and create a cooling effect that emanates from the south upward. We sourced a majority of our grapes from vineyards in the northeastern end, where days achieve good heat levels that allow rich flavors to develop. Multi-vineyard sourcing allows us to create a layered and complex wine.

Winemaking

Our Paso Robles Zinfandel provides a snapshot of this remarkable growing region. We began by hand-harvesting grapes from several of our favorite vineyards in the area. At the winery, we cold soaked the fruit for three days. Maintaining separate lots, we fermented the must at 88ºF for 17 days. Frequent pump-over allowed for good skin contact as well as air induction, which softened the tannins and opened aromatics.

Vintage

A low-yielding, cool vintage, the 2014 growing season was fairly moderate, with no dramatic heat spikes, and harvest dates were extended for longer ripening. Overall, it produced slightly lower sugars, higher acids and vibrant varietal flavors in the wine.