Nestled about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles lies the city of Paso Robles, or more correctly, El Paso de Robles (the Pass of the Oaks). And while most people think of Napa and Sonoma as the hotbed of California wines, Paso is quickly gaining notoriety amongst wine lovers as an area not only for producing great wine but also for providing an unpretentious wine country experience. Cass Winery perfectly embodies this spirit of relaxed yet quality living.
2004 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Right Bank
Made up of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, this wine showed big fruit, solid structure and is drinking well now but could easily go much longer. Great complexity with notes of black cherry, plum, stewed fruits and vegetal notes combined with earth, spice and herbs. A powerful but balanced wine with a nice acidity on its wonderfully long finish.
Excellent+
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2012 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay
Medium gold in colour with enticing aromas of lemon, honey and citrus notes. The palate has a medium/full body and adds to the sense of power of the wine’s intensity. Perfectly balanced, it features flavours of green apple supported with a hint of caramel. The wine’s intense flavours and powerful body manage to retain just the right symmetry without seeming heavy. Already complex, this is still on its way up and will likely deliver pleasure for another 3-5 years, based upon older vintages of this wine that we have had. A blend from 70% Celilo Vineyard and 30% Woodward Canyon Estate.
Excellent – ($47.74 + taxes CDN at Marquis Wine Cellars (the 2013 version of this wine sells for $66 USD at the Woodward Canyon website.)
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Located along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in the Santa Maria Valley AVA, just north of Santa Barbara, sits the beautiful vineyards and tasting room of Cambria Estate Winery. Just 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean, at the northern end of the Foxen Canyon, this is cool climate country and ideal for planting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
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2007 Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-du-Pape
A big, bold wine with lots of dark red fruits, black pepper and earth on the nose. Dark red in colour, it was full-bodied and smooth, intense but very well balanced with a lovely long finish.
Excellent+
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