I could write extensively about the variability in climate, geology and geography, but in sum: it completely depends on where you are in Paso Robles as it’s a huge AVA. The further you head west towards the Santa Lucia range, the lower the afternoon highs are and the larger the night/day temperature swings are. (Due to influence of the “Templeton Gap” which are a series of gaps in the SL range). There’s a tangible difference when you’re driving from the eastern and western portions of the AVA in addition to dramatic topological difference.
But the ultimate judge is in the wines. Plenty of producers who aren’t setting extreme hang-times harvest fruit at 22.5-25 brix and 3.4-3.6 pH depending on the vintage and variety. It’s easy to taste in the Tablas Creek wines due to their traditional winemaking, but if you go and taste Villa Creek’s fruit from Luna Matta you get tons of natural acidity. Cherry told me he was getting 3.3/3.4 pH if I recall correctly and was having to use whole stem inclusion to bring the pH up and improve mouthfeel.
The major issue in terms of ripeness is merely style and decisions in the vineyard. There’s numerous sites in Paso Robles that can naturally create balanced wines with tamed sugars and natural acidity and structure. Yes, few will be able to achieve wines with 12% alcohol, but given vintage variability producers can average 14% ABV wines with balance and elegance. Besides, Napa wines can be just as ripe as Paso Robles, but it doesn’t have quite the reputation for excessive ripeness because of the 70s and 80s. However Paso Robles really emerged during an era of huge ripeness in wines stylistically and I believe that is a major driver in what you see bottled than mere climate.
Thanks for the detailed response, Taylor. I’m still not completely sold (not having as much experience with the wines as you do), but I am open to exploring the wines more and maybe being proven wrong even by my own definitions.
I think we are in the beginning part of the process. I suspect the bragging collector types will soon make the region “hip” and what happened to burgundy will happen to the northern rhone. I think Borolo is in for the same treatment.
So, despite Nick’s doubts, it seems Etna is so far in the lead.
Wine aside, one BIG thing this zona has going for it is epic potential for wine tourism which never hurts. Vines on the side of an erupting volcano, with ruins thousands of years old scattered about? Not gonna find that in Paso.
Etna Rosso, its ruins and vineyards were all there long before Napa Valley Cabernet and its massive wine tourism and hospitality sector. Americans have a tendency to travel domestically, especially as you move West. American wine consumption continues to rise and is now number one in worldwide wine consumption. I personally believe that there’s incredible room in the market for a second American wine region and I think that Paso Robles (and the California central coast) is far better positioned than Washington and Oregon because the brand differentiation (Rhone) and distinctiveness of the varieties themselves. (Not Pinot, Cabernet, Chardonnay).
The quality improves every year and over the last few years I’ve noticed greater freshness in the wine as some higher end producers use less new oak, more neutral oak and more concrete/amphora. In addition, vineyards continue to mature and as is well-known, Grenache quality is typically tied to more mature vines (when they’re less vigorous). The region is essentially in its infancy relative to most of the wine world and it’s already made tremendous gains. When you walk and drive through the west-side of Paso you can see the tremendous potential of the region and only a fraction of it is planted by capitalized, serious, quality minded producers.
Wine publications, whether they are good or bad, are also firmly behind the region as well and it’s irrefutable that points move wines. Saxum already scored a 100 points with their 2007 vintage James Berry vineyard and Tablas Creek recently scored a 99 on their 2007 Panoplie from Wine Advocate. Wine Enthusiast recently named them the wine region of the year (2013).
Generally isolated from the larger cities (unlike Napa) there’s also also a different mind-set. Less flash, more substance. More ability and willingness to evolve without pressure of scoring 95+ points on a $200 bottle of wine. There’s more accessibility and cooperation between winemakers. By its own identity, there’s not a “dominant” variety either. Varietal Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Traditional cuvees. Zinfandel. Petite Sirah. There’s some new plantings of Tempranillo, Carignan and even some quality Cabernet Sauvignon being grown. (York Mountain, far western portions.)
I have no idea how Paso Robles is perceived outside of California where wines are considerably harder to find (particularly on the east coast). The quality of wines, even as recently as the early 2000s, were spotty with too many producers creating hugely scaled wines with excess oak. The region is developing and maturing every year and the region is barely beginning to realize its potential. Young winemakers with a different sensibility are beginning to make their mark and I’m certain that the pendulum is swinging towards wines of greater balance.
Loire Chenin and Cabernet Franc. I think we could see hockey stick growth. Have already watched the big names demand more and more at market (Huet’s wines have seen a significant rise since the 2010 vintage). Have also watched importers clamor the cherry pick the region and introduce new names in recent years. Same can be said of Northern Rhone as many have pointed out (names like Juge, Balthazar, and Gilles have just hit US soils in recent years).
Imagine from a more mainstream perspective, Champagne as a category could explode. The big houses have the marketing dollars to drive growth for the entire region, as “non NYE” sparkling wine consumption grows, and there’s been no lack of price increase already among the RM wines.
+1 I put one in for the home team. Lots of styles available; dry, semi-dry, sweet, ice wine, the good producers do it REALLY well and for now affordable.
My other mention would be Corsica. I think it’s too small to “take off”, but I’ve seen more awareness of it in the last year from a variety of sources. My consumption included.
There are tons of grapes being grown to the east of St. Helena including in Pope Valley. I wonder if any of those grapes could ever make good wine? Also there are some wonderful Cabernets being grown out towards the east of Napa past Atlas Peak that very few people talk about. Porter Family Winery is one that comes to mind.
I see so many wonderful Pinots coming out of the Sonoma Coast area including Occidental, as well as the true Sonoma Coast. These are not particularly new, but are blossoming with lots of new wineries.
As to Paso Robles, I love GSM And Syrah from there (and their Zin doesn’t suck) but I rarely find a Cabernet that is not green, or other wine that I’d want to drink from that region. Some interesting Italian varietals and whites come from Paso, but again, the heat is far too hot for most delicate grapes.
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