Winemaker Notes
The Pick is modeled after a classic southern Rhone Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This GSM highlights three classic grapes blended to make a beautifully balanced wine. The wine showcases the fruity characteristics of Grenache, bold blackberry and beefy dark Syrah notes, and the earthy, gamey influence of Mourvedre. This wine is a perfect pairing partner with a variety of foods. Blends tend to have greater complexity and can be much more exciting than single varietals. Moving to Paso Robles in 2000, the Hoages were delighted to find a few fine producers making blends in the GSM style, loving their fruit forward expression and earthy, spicy undertones. After tasting wines from Paso made with the Rhone varietals, the Hoages decided to farm these grapes exclusively in their vineyard. The Pick was named for the harvest or the “pick” of the barrels and is also a slang term for an interception. Terry, who played as a Free Safety, had a few picks in his career.
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.