Sip & Savor

"Paso and Cab were made for each other," declared Gary Eberle. A puzzling comment from a vintner known for pioneering syrah planting in Paso. Cab, a slang for cabernet sauvignon, is also Eberle's daily go-to sipping wine. Cab not only leads all grape varieties planted in Paso Robles, but ageability makes it a collector's dream, which Gary is eager to prove.

On a cold winter afternoon, I met the Paso pioneer at Eberle Winery, where he was ready with four older vintages that would express Paso Cabs' ageability.

The Paso wine region has long held its prime spot as a Rhône zone. But Paso's Cab Brigade is fast catching up, gaining popularity and garnering high scores from noted wine critics. Cabs here are opulent. They have the va-va-voom of Jennifer Lopez, with an elegance of Jackie Kennedy.

In recent years, I've noticed vintners dedicated to Rhône-style plantings adding cabernet sauvignon vines in their vineyards. "Cab is everywhere," said Eberle's winemaker Chris Eberle (no relation to Gary). "People are ripping out zinfandel and Sangiovese and replacing it with cabernet."

Syrah may be sexy, but as the saying goes, Cab is King!

Paso's wine region encompasses over 40,000 vineyard acres, of which over 39 percent is planted to Cab. Paso Cab fruit remains a good source for Napa wine producers for blending with local Napa grapes.

We begin Eberle's lineup with the 1978 Estrella River Winery Cab, made by Eberle when he was at that winery. "It's got a bottle bouquet on the nose," he announced of the faint brick color wine. "It's like grandma's old attic."

Another brick-hued 1982 Eberle Cab Reserve made by winemaker Tom Myers at Estrella River winery showed distinctive barnyard notes, and the 1987 Eberle estate-bottled Cab was fruit-forward with firm tannins. We finished with a lively 1997 Eberle Cab.

Adelaida Vineyards' 1982 Cab was yet another testament to Paso's aging potential. Evocative of classic cedar and cigar box notes, the wine showed freshness on the palate. This vintage was crafted by John Munch, who had at the time established the Adelaida label with wines made by Myers at Estrella Winery. We savored some recent vintages of Adelaida Cabs: the 2018 Vineyard designate and the cellar-worthy 2016 and '13 from the Signature series. "We are a Bordeaux house through and through — that's where our strength lies," declared Steve Peck, director of winemaking at J. Lohr Winery. He set up an interesting tasting of six wines dating back to 2007. From the Cuvée portfolio (barrelaged for three years and bottle-aged for one), we tasted the Cab-driven PAU blends: the '10 expressing a minty character, the '09 truffle scented and '08 dark and savory. Another trio of 2007s ranged from Carol's Vineyard in Napa Valley to the local Hilltop and PAU, all still vibrantly youthful.

At the Cab-centric Daou Family Wines, I tasted superb wines crafted by co-proprietor and winemaker Daniel Daou, among them the velvety smooth 2019 Estate Cab and the seductive 2018 Soul of a Lion, the flagship blend.

The recent Cab explosion has in part to do with the formation of the Paso Robles CAB (Cabernet and Bordeaux varieties) Collective, established in 2011. It was Daou who corralled support from local wineries such as J. Lohr, Justin Vineyards, Adelaida Vineyards, Eberle, Halter Ranch, Vina Robles Vineyards, and Chateau Margene to form the organization.

So, is Paso a Cab country? "I think, it's becoming that," answered Dan Smith, winemaker at Villa San Juliette. "Here, you have drinkability and aging potential." Among the lineup, we tasted the 2017 Romantique, a

Paso's Cab Brigade Shown is a lineup of Paso Robles-area "Cabs," ready to be sampled by our columnist. Photo by Mira Honeycutt Bordeaux blend, and a 2018 Reserve Cab, wines that hit your palate up front with a rush of red fruits. "There's a big push [on cabernets] especially because of the Cab Collective," noted Sterling Kragten, winemaker at Cass Winery. The 2018 vintages of Cab-driven blends range from the dark and brooding TED supported by mourvèdre (a Rhône variety) adding some pepperiness, and the regular and reserve Cab crafted as classic Bordeaux blends. Some Paso winemakers take the liberty of adding a Rhône variety to their Cabs, but not Soren Christensen. "I'm a traditionalist, I will not blend Cab with syrah," said the winemaker at Hearst Ranch Winery, pouring the 2017 vintages of the textured Proprietor's Reserve and the wellrounded The Point, a classic Bordeaux blend. At Vina Robles' state-of-the-art winery, winemaker Kevin Willenborg lined up the 2018 and '19 vintages of 100 percent Cabs. The Creston Valley wines expressed dark cherry fruit, while the ones from Adelaida Springs were evocative of cassis and cedar. At the Cab-centric Hope Family Wines, the range extends from the everyday Austin Cab to Treana and the cellar-worthy Austin Hope Reserve. I savored more bold complex Cabs at Niner Wine Estates: the 2018 Fog Catcher Bordeaux blend and the full-bodied Heart Hill Cab; Victor Hugo Winery's 2017 Opulence, rich and bold, true to its name; and Robert Hall's full-bodied Cab and Meritage from the Cavern Select series. Other Paso wineries producing distinctive Cabs and Bordeaux blends include Sixmilebridge, Ancient Peaks, Allegretto, Chateau Margene, Brecon, Parrish, Paris Valley Road Estate, Grey Wolf, The Farm, and more. For the extended version of the story visit pasoroblespress.com. 

HAVE A NEW BUSINESS? NEED TO FILE YOUR FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME, LEGAL NOTICE OR CLASSIFIED AD?

Contact The Paso Robles Press at (805) 237-6060 or office@13starsmedia.com your local hometown newspaper since 1885. We are here to help!

CENTRAL COAST TRVLR+VINO™ SUMMER 2022

Central Coast TRVLR + Vino takes you on a unique adventure along the Central Coast from Monterey to Malibu. Introducing travelers to new restaurants, tasting rooms, museums, parks, beaches, and so much more. Our Summer 2022 issue is coming. Space is limited so call us today to reserve your spot!

GUIDEHow to

2021 FALL EDITION

A Special Supplement to The Atascadero News & Paso Robles Press

HOW TO GUIDE MARCH 2022 WHAT’S INSIDE:

Our bi-annual How to Guide is back; need assistance Natural Alternative 2 Beyond Speech Therapy 4 on how and when to buy a home or pick your next A Heavenly Home 6 Ted Hamm Insurance 8 heater or home appliance? We have you covered. The Kuehl-Nicolay Funeral Home 10 How to Guide is designed from the experts in North County. To advertise call us at (805) 237-6060 or email office@13starsmedia.com.

H&R Block 12 Sierra Pacific Materials 14 Solarponics 16 Hamon Overhead Door 18 Five Star Rain Gutters 20 Diane Cassidy - Re/Max Success 22

Service ∙ Sales ∙ Installation

Proudly serving all of the San Luis Obispo County

Sue Gibson, CSA, MBA

(415) 656-6869 sue@slgseniorcare.com www.SLGSeniorCare.com

FREE PLACEMENT SERVICE

SLG Senior Care

ASSISTED LIVING  MEMORY CARE  RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES