Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
We love how the folks at Eberle describe this expression: “the charm of Old World wines without the funk.” A blend of 64% Grenache, 24% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre, and 4% Durif, it proves the southern Rhône is well interpreted on the Central Coast. Scents of spiced rhubarb and strawberry keep the California sunshine in the glass as plum and salinity chime in on the palate. The red fruit meets its match in cocoa and ultra-sleek acidity, making for an experience that’s equal parts silky, juicy, and darn good.
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Wine Enthusiast
This blend of 64% Grenache, 24% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre and 4% Durif offers aromas of gravel, baked soil, red plum and hibiscus. The palate is fun-loving and light bodied, with cranberry, hibiscus and orange-rind flavors, finishing with a hint of roasted meat.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Eberle Côtes-du-Rôbles is a lovely red wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers attractive red fruit and soft earth aromas and flavors. Pair it with a savory stew and enjoy it. (Tasted: May 1, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.