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Located along the California Central Coast midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the area around the small town of Paso Robles is one of the hottest emerging wine-growing regions in California.
Located along the California Central Coast midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the area around the small town of Paso Robles is one of the hottest emerging wine-growing regions in California. The secret of the region is that of truly hot days balanced by cool evenings.
The 350-acre vineyard of Paso Creek is located just east of Paso Robles in the vast expanse of the old Estrella River basin. Paso Creek director of vineyards Paul Kenney says the dry soils and varied temperatures make for bold wines. "Paso Robles is all about the proximity effect of being 18 miles from the ocean. The big swing is the key to the climate," he says. "We can experience 100-degree days evolving as the evening approaches to sometimes maybe down into the 40s."
Lean soils and a vigilant but conservative irrigation regimen force the vines to feed their fruit first, thus producing smaller grapes with big concentrated flavors. Look for assorted spices, fruity jam, and mocha in the nose. The 2006 Paso Creek Cabernet Sauvignon ($18) is focused and fruit-forward. The soft roundness in the mouth makes the red approachable to many foods, including some seafood and most grilled meats.
This wine's grapes come from vineyards in a truly desert environment with difficult soil and almost no rain. "The bone-dry soils make growing grapes here a true labor of love," Kenney says. "It's rugged duty for viticulturists. But for cabernet sauvignon, well, let's just call it character building." The Paso Creek cabernet sauvignon certainly has character.
• Info: www.pasocreek.com
