Robert Hall Winery 2007 Rhone de Robles

Posted by Keith Wallace on May 1, 2013 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

Paso Robles Wine Review

One of my favorite trends in Paso Robles is the embrace of these Rhone-style wines. I am especially pleased to see Robert Hall embracing the style. I met Robert at a wine festival I organized about six years ago. A wonderful and generous man, we talked at length about his winery. At that point, he was still focused on Cabernet and Merlot, the kingpins of Bordeaux. His turn toward the Rhone varietals is very successful, and this is one to seek out.

A blend of Grenache and Syrah, with a tiny bit of Cinsault and Counoise, this wine has a deep crimson hue. Aromas of cigar box and espresso layered over blackberries. The wine is round on the palate with cedar smoke and crushed mineral. Dark fruit takes over and then finishes with nutmeg and cinnamon.

Wine Video of the Week: Paso Wine Man

Posted by Keith Wallace on Apr 22, 2013 in Video | 0 comments

Only in Paso Robles. Irreverent and funny, this video hits the perfect balance. Many wine advertisements inadvertently regress into  kitsch, but this never falls into that trap.   It really offers up some of the excitement that is SLO, with tongue firmly placed in cheek. Nicely done!

Pear Valley 2007 Syrah, Paso Robles

Posted by Keith Wallace on Nov 2, 2012 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

Pear Valley is located on the  east side of Paso Robles,  right smack in the middle of it all. The winery is very new, newer even than this wine (it wasn’t built until 2008). However, the vineyards of Pear Valley date back a decade.  This is one of the sunnier and warmest parcels of Paso vineyards, and very suited to high quality and aggressively priced luxury wines.

This is a wine that is used at the Wine School of Philadelphia in some of our introductory classes, due to it’s excellent quality-to-price ratio and it’s varietal correctness. It also makes for a great glass or wine.

Inky and smoky, like a blueberry with a bacon fetish, this wine starts out with a savory quality that is punctuated with aromas of quince. Medium to full bodied it  hits the palate  both round and tannic. Notes of clove and nutmeg follow the deep dark fruit flavors and then comes the flavors of burnt earth and lavender.

Peachy Canyon 2008 Westside Zinfandel, Paso Robles

Posted by Keith Wallace on Oct 12, 2012 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

Paso Robles is a huge AVA, with over a half million acres of vines. Huge wineries like  J. Lohr, Treana, and Meridian dominate the region. However in the cooler hills on the westside of Paso, there are smaller treasures. Wineries like Tablas Creek Vineyard Terry Hoage Vineyard are at home there.

Peachy Canyon lives in both worths. A mid-sized winery that that offers quality Red Zins at a decent price.  It’s one of my de facto go-to wineries for BBQ-friendly red wine. Their gungho fruit-bomb style is a perfect accompaniment to hot smoked pork shoulder.

Their Westside bottling is a winner every year. Since it’s from their cooler vineyards, it’s a bit more layered. This vintage  is layered with sundried cherries and blackberries. A whiff of black pepper, and a huge mouthful of glycerin.

PASO ROBLES in San Luis Obispo county was originally planted with vines in the late 18th century; the Santa Ynez Valley, in Santa Barbara County, had a flourishing wine industry in pre-Prohibition times; Santa Barbara town itself was once dotted with vineyards. Yet both counties were virtually devoid of vines in the early 1960s; it was not until Estrella, in Paso Robles, and Firestone, in Santa Ynez Valley, established vineyards in 1972 that others followed.

Global Wine Studies: North America

Posted by Keith Wallace on Jan 2, 2011 in Wine Reviews | 0 comments

I. The Other Side of White

Topanga Vineyards 2005 “Celedon”, Napa
Copain 2006 “Saisons des Vins, L’ete”, Viognier, Mendocino

II. Northwest Valleys

Cottonwood 2003 “Marina Piper” Pinot Noir, Willamette
Russell Creek 2002 Merlot, Walla Walla

III. The “New Wave”

Edmonds St. John 2003 “Shells and Bones”, Paso Robles

IV. The Old Guard

Ravenswood 2005 “Tedeschi” Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
Trentadue 2004 Petit Sirah, Sonoma

V. The Napa Star

Laura Zahtila 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga