Paso Robles wines earn top rankings

December 14, 2012

Two red wines from San Luis Obispo County have been prominently included in a list of best red wines on the West Coast. [San Francisco Chronicle]

The publication articulates its opinion of the top 100 wines and has this to say about the Paso Robles-area offerings:

“2010 Broadside Margarita Vineyard Paso Robles Merlot ($22, 13.8 percent): This new entry from the value-minded Broadside folks takes the same tack as their Cabernet – indigenous-yeast fermentation, minimal cellar work, neutral oak. But mostly this shows the prowess of the limestone-rich Margarita site south of Paso. Tangy currant and smoked-tea aspects of good Merlot are there, plus darker fruit and standup tannins that signal its seriousness. A smart expression of a grape hunting for a comeback.”

“2011 Broc Cellars Paso Robles Cabernet Franc ($25, 13.2 percent): For all his abilities with Zinfandel, Chris Brockway’s discovered great Franc in warmer Paso. It’s not leafy in the way Franc can be, but rather is pretty and spiced, with a rooty aspect to cranberry and damson plum fruit. This is sunny fruit picked at a modest ripeness, giving it a fresh nature that defines the more footloose side of a grape in a brilliantly improbable place.”