Paso Robles CAB Collective hosts first fall grand tasting
A collection of 75 Bordeaux style wines showcased
Paso Robles pioneer Jerry Lohr (center) stopped by at the J. Lohr tasting table and joined his daughter Cynthia Lohr and winemaker Steve Peck Photos by Mira Advani Honeycutt
–The Paso Robles CAB Collective staged its first CABs of Distinction Fall Grand Tasting at the Alegretto Vineyard Resort on October 14. The afternoon’s tasting brought together some 30 winery members of the CAB Collective group pouring their finest cabernet sauvignon and red Bordeaux varietal wines.
Although the group of winemakers has been holding its annual Spring Grand Tasting for the past four years in March, this is the first fall tasting noted Daniel Daou of Daou Vineyards. The tasting kicked off the Paso Robles Harvest Wine Weekend and is now poised to be an annual event in October.
Daniel Daou of Daou Vineyards is one of the founding members of the CAB Collective
Commenting on the 2016 harvest most vintners agreed it’s one of the area’s best. “It’s a fabulous year,” said Christian Tietje, winemaker of Rotta. “If there was such a thing as perfect vintage, this is the year,” Daou agreed. “We had early veraison and bud break and the cool August gave us concentrated sugar,” said Daou. “The harvest started mid-September and we’ve reached a perfect physiological balance.”
Set up in the hotel’s picturesque garden, the wine tasting stations encircled a spread of food tables cradling assorted cheeses, breads, fruit trays and an indulgence of decadent chocolates — a perfect match for the luscious Cabernet Sauvignon wines.
An impressive lineup of cabernet sauvignon and blends was offered by participating wineries such as Cass, Pomar Junction, RN Estate, Sextant, Opolo, Parrish Family and Bon Niche Cellars. There was a deep rich malbec and cabernet franc blend, The Messier, from Calcareous, and several producers, Adelaida, Brecon Estate and Rotta, poured single varietals of elegant cabernet franc. Also from Rotta, winemaker Tietje poured Time Capsule, a delicious blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot, a wine he called feminine and super sexy.
Doug Ayres, proprietor of Alegretto Vineyard Resort
Alegretto’s owner Doug Ayres, sporting a cowboy hat, was proudly pouring the hotel wine brand’s first vintage, 2013 cabernet sauvignon from the Willow Creek district. Additional vineyards, Ayres pointed out, are planted around the hotel grounds planted to malbec, viognier, and tannat and some cabernet sauvignon. Winemaker Allen Kinney crafts the small 1200-case annual production.
The Farm Winery’s Azmina and Jim Madsen poured from their miniscule production of the 2012 LPF Bordeaux-style blend (100 cases) and the 2012 Cardinal Cabernet Sauvignon (200 cases); Clos Solène’s Guillaume Fabre offered his 2014 L’Insolent, a cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot blend; and Chateau Margene’s Michael Mooney served up the 2013 Cask 4, a complex cabernet sauvignon.
The Paso Robles CAB Collective group was established in 2012 spearheaded by Daou with support from owners of wineries such as Adelaida Cellars, J.Lohr, Eberle, Vina Robles, Cheateau Margene, Halter Ranch and San Antonio The founders aim to educate both trade and consumers on the quality of cabernet sauvignon and Bordeaux-style wines produced in Paso Robles.
Margene and Michael Mooney of Chateau Margene Winery
Indeed, with rave reviews from acclaimed wine critics such as Robert M. Parker Jr. of the prestigious publication The Wine Advocate, Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon is now getting recognized nationally. Parker matches them with the best wines from the North Coast and has singled out such estates as Adelaida, L’Aventure, Booker, Denner, Jada, Justin and The Farm. Daou’s barrel samples of 2014 and 2105 Patrimony garnered a prestigious 99 point score from Parker.
What makes the Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon special is the high phenolics in the fruit, noted Daou. “A great Cab is driven by the level of phenolics ,” he said. “We have the darkest and highest phenolics in the world.” That’s testimony to the local terroir, he continued.
“In the hand of a great winemaker, we have a chance of making the best cab because we rarely have a bad vintage,” Daou stated. And he assures anyone who will listen that Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon can rival Napa Valley cabs.
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