Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Côtes-du-Rôbles Rosé is enticing, yet shows restraint. A blend of 52% Grenache, 44% Syrah and 4% Viognier, the vibrant pink color leads your nose and mouth to the glass where aromas and flavors of tropical fruits, strawberries and a hint of pink grapefruit leap out of the glass.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
From its spiced rhubarb–cranberry nose to its mélange of fresh herbs, strawberry, and chili pepper on the palate, this blend of 52% Grenache, 44% Syrah, and 4% Viognier rung our bell. Distinct and flavorful with balanced acidity, it’s a savory sipper built for food pairing.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Gary Eberle, one of Paso Robles champions of high-quality wines, and his winemaker Chris Eberle (no relation) has produced an excellent rosé wine. The 2018 Côtes-du-Rôbles Rosé is one that will appeal to a broad cross-section of wine lovers. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits a nice juxtaposition of Old and New World nuances. Its aromas and flavors of candied raspberries and savory spices should pair nicely with a salad of berries and bitter greens. (Tasted: March 10, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.