ENTHUSIAST OF ALL

For the first time in nearly a dozen years, my rental car headed south after landing at SFO for our annual wine tasting trip. After spending the majority of those visits exploring Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley at length and venturing into more obscure growing regions such as Mendocino and Livermore, it was time to attack Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. Interestingly enough, as much time as we have committed to seeking out and tasting the best Cabernet and Zinfandel that the northern regions would allow us to get our hands on, the varietal most dear to my heart has always been Syrah, and Paso Robles was the first region in California to plant that grape. While there is certainly no shortage of Bordeaux varietal and heritage Zinfandel production in the Paso Robles region as well, the emphasis there has always seemed to be upon Rhone-inspired varietals, predominantly Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre that can be found in single bottlings as well as unique blends that show depth and character. One could argue that Saxum Winery winning the coveted Wine Spectator Wine of the Year award in 2010 for its 2007 James Berry Vineyard blend really put this region on the map; in fact, it was shortly thereafter that I made my inaugural visit in the fall of 2011. In the years since, the region has maintained and expanded upon that quality, becoming the essential Rhone-inspired region in America. Combine my affinity for that style with the fact that Paso Robles has maintained a family-friendly environment with reasonable tasting fees, and it made a lot of sense as a redirection and re-exploration with my young family. The drive to Santa Barbara, where we focused mainly on cooler climate varietals like Pinot Noir, is a manageable two-hour drive from downtown Paso Robles.

As a home base, my group decided to embark on a total 180 degree turn after a bad hotel experience near downtown Healdsburg last fall and rented a chalet (tiny house!) at an upscale RV park. Our friends parked their Airstream vehicle adjacent to the house we rented, and we enjoyed cookouts, swimming in the pool and scenic views from our balcony while the kids rode scooters and threw the baseball around the park. It was perhaps the best balance I have ever achieved between high-end tastings and overall activity. Our trip to Santa Barbara even included stops at the famous Ostrichland farm and a dinner at Hitching Post restaurant (of Sideways fame), while the downtown area is positioned close enough to historical attractions like Hearst Castle and its surrounding beach towns to make a lengthy stay rewarding and worthwhile. The vineyards themselves in the Paso Robles region are very widespread and were a bit of a haul from the campsite, not at all similar to the stretches of Highway 29 in Napa, Highway 12 in Sonoma or even Dry Creek Valley Road north of Healdsburg, where it is possible to visit seemingly as many wineries as you wish in a day. The layout in Paso requires careful planning and the windy roads urge a more moderate pace, so we visited only one or two per day.

I can recall being surprised on my first visit here in regard to the beauty of the landscape. I had apparently envisioned a flatter, more desert-like terrain, but the Paso Robles wine roads could not be more opposite, instead providing hilly, winding roads and sweeping views. On our way south into town on the first day, we opted for the Adelaida Road circuit to the west, hitting McPrice Myers and Tablas Creek. It was a hot day with temperatures above 100 degrees, so both establishments set our group up comfortably in the cellar. While we slightly preferred the red wines at McPrice Myers, Tablas Creek delivered the single best white wine of our entire trip at a bargain price (details below) and offered a spectacular and innovative history in terms of the procurement of Rhone varietals into California winemaking. I will look forward to being able to sit outside to taste at both of these stops on my next visit. Both stops offer reasonable $25 tasting fees, which are waived with a two-bottle purchase.

Another popular route is Green Valley Road, which veers southwest of town. The two heavy hitters here are Denner and Booker, which we actually opted to split and hit on different days despite their proximity. At $50 per person, these are among the priciest stops in the region, but are both well worth the money, featuring some of the most famous blends and Syrah expressions in the area. The relaxing outdoor tasting at Denner took place on a large, comfortable table set just beside the stunning backdrop offered at the facility. There are hardly any words to describe the experience at Booker’s new tasting room other than to say I could have happily spent all day there sipping the large pours provided on the couches out front where we were seated or at the modern bar overlooking the vineyard or in the vineyard itself, or anywhere within pouring range of its delicious juice.

The somewhat treacherous trek up Peachy Canyon Road is not necessarily for the faint of heart, but the payoff once arriving at the top of the hill and reaching Calcareous Vineyard is well worth it. While the red wines themselves didn’t quite hit the mark on the level of Booker or Denner, you would be hard pressed to find a better tasting view in all of California. We were in need of a solid Zinfandel for our 4th of July grill out, and this spot conveniently delivered the top Zin offering of the trip. While our tasting host did read my mind and pre-emptively offer a bonus pour of that Zinfandel which was off of the menu, I took some issue with the wines being offered in the tasting, as both their flagship blend Moose and highly acclaimed Estate Syrah were nowhere to be found. Both seemed like strange omissions, and there were actually no wines containing any Syrah offered on the tasting menu. We will need to venture back for the view and hopefully receive a bit more diversity in terms of tasting options. The $30 tasting fee is not waived with a purchase of less than three bottles but is worth it for the view alone.

For our Pinot Noir stop, we focused in on Sanford Winery north of Santa Barbara and east of Buellton in the town of Lompoc. The lovely outdoor tasting here provides substantial offerings of both Pinot and Chardonnay on the valley floor. Some will remember the more rustic tasting ambiance presented in the Sideways movie, where an employee in a cowboy hat pours Miles and Jack their first tastes of their road trip while they stand at the bar. The outdoor seated experience offered here now is far more luxurious, and to the tune of about $45 per person after tax. That may sound steep, but the retail prices of these single vineyard Pinots have reached a level nothing short of astonishing. After a brief visit to feed the massive birds at Ostrichland, our crew made a rewarding 30-minute stop at Tensley and their Los Olivos tasting room. I managed to meet the owner and winemaker, who was bursting with pride over the recent Wine Spectator scores his 2021s had earned that morning, and I was offered the opportunity to taste the best of them. The $20 fee here was waived when I promptly shipped six bottles back home to Chicago, but there isn’t a much better bargain in all of California in terms of price for quality Syrah, and these wines check in at about 50% of the cost of their Booker and Denner counterparts.

During our stay, which also included a brewery crawl in the Santa Cruz beach area to visit Humble Sea and Sante Adairius, as well as stops at the Firestone Walker and Barrelhouse breweries in town, we visited 7 different wineries and tasted about 45 wines. Here is a rundown of the best, as always sorted first by score and then by price in order to reward value as well as quality.

RED WINES:

1. Tensley Syrah Colson Canyon Santa Barbara County 2021, 95 Points, $48: Detailed aromas of smoked meat above black currant fruits. Thick and intense, with layers of blackberry and dark raspberry that show bacon fat, mocha powder, leather and peppery spice underneath. My type of Syrah- big, burly and brooding, yet retaining elegance and finesse above its impressive power. Shows off an amazing, endless finish.
2. Denner Dirt Worshipper 2020, 95 Points, $85: Explosive aromas of floral violet and smoked game and venison. Silky body of intense blackberry and black plum fruit that show infinitely beguiling undertones of mocha, wild game and cracked pepper, lingering for minutes with a blast of graphite. Powerful but elegant, with earthy black olive notes adding depth and complexity through the long finish. For fans of the masculine style. Syrah.
3. Booker Syrah Fracture Paso Robles 2019, 95 Points, $98: Big, rich black currant aromas show exotic spice, leather and eucalyptus components. Powerful and elegant, with concentrated blueberry and blackberry fruit that glides above a weightless texture, showing complex undertones of smoked meat, allspice and river stone over the endless finish. Lingers long on an earthy note of dusty chocolate and black olive.
4. Tensley Syrah BMT Santa Barbara County 2021, 95 Points, $105 (1500 ml): Combines dark plum with exotic spices on the nose. Elegant on the palate entry, showing explosive wild berry fruits above a core of dark plum and blackberry. The finish expands into a blast of savory herbs and peppery spice, lending an intense wet stone mineral edge as it lingers for minutes. Amazing.
5. Tensley Red Wine Nolan Vineyard 2021, 94 Points, $42: Balances inky dark fruits with cinnamon-coated red currant aromas. Far more masculine and intense on the palate than the other offerings, with dark plum and blackberry fruit and licorice notes that feel somewhat understated in comparison to its powerful undertones of leather, charcoal and black pepper that linger endlessly. Syrah, Mourvèdre and Petite Sitah.
6. McPrice Myers Beautiful Earth Red 2021, 94 Points, $50: Exotic aromas of dark plum and perfumey black currant, showing understated smoke and baking spice notes. Lush and balanced, with a powerful delivery of dark plum and blackberry fruit with focused and detailed black pepper, smoked meat and mocha bean elements that linger long and intensely. A burly wine that balances elegance with power. GSM.
7. Booker Syrah Perl 2020, 94 Points, $75: Explosive nose of dark currants, smoked meat, leather and cracked pepper. Combines power with elegance over a refined texture, showing rich, focused blackberry and black plum fruit that gives way to complex undertones of black pepper, road tar and graphite mineral. 
8. Booker Oublie 2019, 94 Points, $75: Expressive dark red berry fruit and briary garrigue aromas. Intense and full-bodied, with dark raspberry and black cherry fruit that quickly darken into earthy mushroom, dusty cocoa and smokey underbrush accents that add depth and complexity through the long finish. Surprising and impressive power for a Grenache-heavy blend. GSM.
9. Denner Mother of Exiles 2020, 94 Points, $85: Minty eucalyptus and black currant aromas. Rich, savory and velvety on the palate with blackberry and blueberry currant flavors are focused and deep, evolving into dark chocolate and cedary spice notes that linger long. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
10. Calcareous Zinfandel Kate’s Vineyard Paso Robles 2020, 93 Points, $60: Intensely aromatic, with allspice and clove notes on the nose along red berry fruit notes. Vivid core of dark raspberry and black cherry shows great energy and drive. Cracked pepper notes add nuance to the exotic spice notes through the extended finish. Consumed with 4th of July BBQ dinner.
11. Sanford Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Santa Rita Hills, 93 Points, $80: Gorgeous bouquet of perfumed red berry fruit, mushroom and white chocolate. Soft and silky on the palate, with wild berry fruit flavors that glide over white pepper spice and smoke notes, lingering long and elegantly through the long finish, with medium-grained tannins holding it all together. 
12. Denner Ditch Digger 2020, 93 Points, $85: Floral red currant aromas. Focused and refined, with black pepper notes weaving through a solid core of cranberry, raspberry and pomegranate fruit, evolving into a big blast of chalky mineral. Vibrant and intense through the long finish. GSM.
13. Tensley Syrah Santa Barbara Country 2020, 92 Points, $36: Combines black fruit and leather on the nose, expanding into a full-bodied mouthfeel of black plum and blackberry that quickly dives into big, brooding undertones of smoked meat, road tar and cracked pepper accents that linger long. Black pepper carries beyond the subdued fruit through the finish. 
14. McPrice Myers L’Ange Rouge 2021, 92 Points, $55: Jammy dark berry fruit on the nose. Silky body showcases wild berry and dark raspberry fruit, with accents of cracked pepper and a herbaciousness that powers through the finish. This lingers long with a hint of stony minerality. Firm tannic grip clamps down a bit through the finish.
15. Calcareous Grenache 2021, 92 Points, $60: Big aromas of red currant fruit with briary tobacco notes. Vivid and intense, with bright raspberry and red cherry flavors that glide over a sleek texture that carries into a blast of herbal bay leaf and tobacco spices. Texture is glorious and finish lingers long with spice, leather and wet stone accents.

WHITE WINES:

1. Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc Paso Robles 2022, 92 Points, $28: Balanced and drinkable, with a toasty body of juicy nectarine and floral peach flavors above a backbone of crisp minerality and exotic spices. Rock solid through the long finish, showing impressive depth and devoid of tartness. Grenache Blanc and Viognier.
2. McPrice Myers Beautiful Earth White 2022, 91 Points, $35: Citrusy aromas of crisp golden apple and stone fruit. Sleek and lightly tart citrus, dominated by apricot flavors and carrying an edge of perfume. High acidity adds drive through the finish, lingeing on a mineral note. Clairette Blanche and Grenache Blanc.
3. Tablas Creek Espirit de Tablas Blanc 2020, 91 Points, $50: A high-acid blend, with tropical fruit and lemon-lime zest flavors that are sleek and refined, gaining depth from creamy oak undertones and hints of ginger. Tropical fruit notes linger long. Roussanne and Grenache Blanc.
4. Denner Theresa 2021, 91 Points, $55: Lovely bouquet of floral citrus. Expressive and focused, with pear and lemon flavors mingling with floral spice notes, evolving into a creamy texture on the back of the palate. Long finish with almond and vanilla accents lingering. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Marsanne.
5. Booker White 2021, 91 Points, $65: Combines lifted floral stone fruit aromas with nuances of honey and toast. Light on its feet, with concentrated but well-intertwined white peach and nectarine flavors that melt into a creamy underbelly that lingers with vanilla and flinty mineral notes. Understated and refined.