I’m going to start by making a somewhat controversial statement about Paso Robles. We’ve all been pronouncing it wrong. At least according to Meghan Ball of Linne Calodo, a winery located in the city. Paso Robles, meaning “Pass of the Oaks,” is often pronounced pass-o ro-blays. In fact, Robles should rhyme with the word nobles. Meghan says the incorrect pronunciation of the town’s name is how they identify tourists.
The climate and soil in Paso Robles are very suitable for vineyards. The soil is rich, porous, and holds water. The days are hot and the nights cool. All these factors, make it ideal for growing grapes. The grapes are allowed to reach full maturity while still retaining crisp acidity. Paso Robles is home to 11 different viticultural areas or districts over approximately 614,000 acres. I’m going to take you to three of these districts on our tour.
Linne Calodo
The first winery on our tour is Linne Calodo (lin-ay coh-lo-do), located 13 miles from the ocean at around 1,050ft elevation. They’re in the Willow Creek District on the west side of Paso Robles. The winery produces 4-5 thousand cases per year using dry farming and deficit irrigation. Winemaker and owner Matt Trevisan believes in “trusting in Mother Nature” and a minimalist approach to winemaking. Linne Calodo aims to produce “wines shaped by the land where they were grown and the personalities of those who grew them. Not contrived, not forced, and intriguingly unexpected.” They do not disappoint. The wines were distributed in Virginia for the first time earlier this year at Chain Bridge Cellars in McLean.
Linne Calodo Pale Flowers Rose 2017
This wine is Linne Calodo’s first Rose. It’s a direct press rose using Grenache grapes that were picked underripe. Aged in stainless steel and fiberglass, the nose is full of red berries and sage. The wine is highly acidic, crisp and full bodied with notes of strawberry, cherry, and watermelon. An excellent first go at a Rose!
Linne Calodo Contrarian White 2017
The Contrarian is so named simply because it is contrary to red wines. It’s also the winery’s only white at the moment. The wine is a blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 20% Viognier, and 30% Picpoul Blanc. Interestingly enough, the wine is aged in concrete egg-shaped tanks, which I’d never heard of prior to tasting wines from Linne Calodo. The nose is floral, particularly hibiscus. There’s also a slight herbaceousness. It’s another highly acidic wine, creamy on the palate and a bright finish. You can taste melon, sage, and peach.
Linne Calodo Sticks and Stones 2016
This one was my favorite, and I love the story behind the name. The wine is 74% Grenache, 19% Syrah, and 7% Mourvedre. This was one of the first wines Matt made, back when he was traveling around with wine in his trunk trying to get distributors to pick it up. The name he had originally picked out for the wine was recently adopted by another winery and everyone he met told him they couldn’t sell a Grenache. Leaving one such meeting, Matt thought to himself the old adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Thus was born the name for this wine. And it is a stunning wine at that. Simply one of the best wines I’ve ever tasted.
It has a beautiful deep red color. The nose is interesting and complex with tobacco and smoke. That doesn’t begin to cover it, but my nose isn’t as good as Meghan’s. The wine is smooth with berries, herbs, and just a little bit of pepper. It has a silky, round mouth feel and the acid keeps it smooth. This is one to age for at least five years, but it’s also amazing as it is now. I can only imagine how much better it’s going to get given some time to age.
Linne Calodo Problem Child 2016
Problem Child derived its name from the fact that it was literally the problem child in the winemaking process the first time Matt created this blend of 77% Zinfandel, 17% Syrah, and 6% Mourvedre. Apparently young Zinfandel can be problematic when making wine. This blend got stuck in the fermentation process. They tried everything, but the wine just wouldn’t complete fermenting. In a moment of frustration Matt stuck the barrels in a corner and just let it do what it needed to do, and the result was Problem Child. The wine itself was bright and full bodied. You can taste white pepper, red fruit, and tobacco. It’s jammy with a long finish. It might have caused trouble in the past, but you’ll love this Problem Child nonetheless.
Linne Calodo Perfectionist 2016
Perfectionist is a blend of 74% Syrah, 9% Grenache, and 17% Mourvedre. It’s made exclusively in concrete. This one has a weaker nose, so I was unable to identify any one specific scent. It’s a full bodied wine with high acid and clean, linear tannins. You can taste cigars, olives, and white pepper on the palate. I would recommend decanting this one prior to drinking.
Cass Vineyard and Winery is located between Paso Robles and Creston, due east of Templeton Gap at 900 ft elevation. It’s about 28 miles from the Pacific. The vineyard has 145 acres of rolling hills and boasts 100% ENTAV certified French grape clones. They grow 11 different Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. Unfortunately, I was only able to taste one wine from this winery.
Elsewhere in Paso Robles…
Cass Winery Viognier 2016
Cass Vineyard and Winery is located between Paso Robles and Creston, due east of Templeton Gap at 900 ft elevation. It’s about 28 miles from the Pacific. The vineyard has 145 acres of rolling hills and boasts 100% ENTAV certified French grape clones. They grow 11 different Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. Unfortunately, I was only able to taste one wine from this winery.
To preserve the intense fruit and aromatics of a Viognier, the wine was aged in stainless steel in order to inhibit malolactic fermentation. The nose of this Viognier was slightly floral with lots of tropical fruits, such as pineapple, apricot, and melon. I recommend pairing this one with Ossau-Iraty cheese.
Tablas Creek Cote de Tablas Rouge 2015
Tablas Creek Vineyard was founded in 1989. The Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands chose Paso Robles to start this vineyard due to its similarities to the southern Rhone. It’s located in the Adelaida District, which is to the north and west of the Willow Creek District that houses Linne Calodo. The vineyard is 12 miles from the Pacific and gets its name from the creek running through the 120 acre property. Average elevation is about 1,500ft. They produce between 25,000 and 35,000 cases of wine per year. In order to reflect the grapes, terroir, and vintage, the winemakers use dry farming, native yeast fermentation, and neutral French oak foudres to produce their wines. In addition to their wines, Tablas Creek sells grafted vines and budwoods made from clones of their vines. In fact they’ve sold to more than 600 vineyards and wineries throughout the US.
Cote de Tablas Rouge is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Counoise and Mourvedre. The wine showcases the Grenache. The nose has a delightful blend of tobacco, black tea, and (oddly) new soccer ball. The wine is acidic with hints of white pepper and strawberry. The Syrah shows through with some spiciness and minerality. Chewy tannins on the finish, which indicates it could age for a few more years. I recommend drinking this with food if you’re going to drink it now.