Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
We don’t get to taste a lot of Pinot Noir from Paso, but this one is proof that it can be a charmer. Winemaker Paul Frankel created a juicy, jammy red with fruit grown on the valley floor of the Frankel Family Estate in the El Pomar District. Gorgeous aromas of dusky red cherry and mocha lead to an earthy palate of wet leaves, rhubarb, and white-peppered plum. It’s silky, with a dusting of seashell and a toasty cedar finish.
Say the words “Paso Robles Pinot Noir,” and some folks might give you a funny look. After all, the region has become famous for Zinfandel, Cabernet and Rhone varieties like Syrah and Grenache. But Pinot? It turns out, however, that Paso Pinot not only has some history, but a very promising future. As in the field of real estate, it all comes down to location, location, location.
Pinot Noir was made here as early as the 1970’s, with further efforts coming in the 1990’s. But it couldn’t happen just anywhere. Typically the sub-appellations on the Westside, namely Adelaida, Templeton Gap, York Mountain and Willow Creek, which benefit from the cooling effect of the nearby Pacific Ocean, turn out the most impressive Pinot Noir, redolent of red fruit, loamy forest floor and floral tones.