Thacher Winery & Vineyard

Zinfandel clusters at Turley

Denner Vineyards

Wineries in the Paso Robles region have doubled in the past decade, this explosive growth coming from a stampede of vintners that replaced the cattle that once roamed freely here.  The rich diversity of terroir and microclimates allows for many different varietals to be grown here.  Zinfandel used to be the major wine grape grown, but over fifty years ago, vineyard pioneers planted Bordeaux and Rhône varietals that flourished in the heat.  The wine grapes intensify under the Paso sun, yet sparkle with bright acidity because of the cool nights.  Temperature swings of 40-50 degrees between day and night, makes for the intense character of the varietals, and the resulting wine blends offer complexity and balance.  The true Paso Robles wine characteristic is accessible fruit, ripe and opulent, with a lush texture.

Communing with Syrah at Denner Vineyards

Tasting Thacher's Own-Rooted Chenin Blanc, a novelty

Tasting through Epoch Wines

With Jason Haas of Tablas Creek

Walking among Sixmilebridge's Cabernet Sauvignon vines

The Paso Robles wine scene is breathtaking, the variety and intensity of the wines have caught the wine world’s attention.  Over ten years ago, I remember a local telling me that Paso was the Napa of the future, and it certainly seems on track to meet that prediction in the near term.  What once was a single large AVA now is more defined as eleven distinct wine growing areas.  With a new generation of winemakers reinventing conventional knowledge, the classic Paso style is evolving, yet still reflective of the climate and sun.  Most wineries are smaller production, family-run businesses, and their location, whether the Eastside or the Westside of Paso, define the wines.
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I had a chance to visit six wineries, not even a start, but all well regarded for what they offer.  Currently because of Covid precautions, tastings are by appointment only, with a sit down sampling of wines, at tables spaced several feet apart, and sanitizing protocols between visitors.  Tastings last about 90 minutes.

Denner Vineyards' stunning Comus Vista tasting area

Denner Vineyards captures the essence of Paso Robles in a glass, what winemaker Anthony Yount summarizes as a “high yummy factor”.  Producing Bordeaux and Rhône style wines on the Westside of Paso, grown in soils with limestone deposits, these powerful wines are visceral and explosive.  Five wines were tasted, one white Rhône blend “Theresa” and four reds, of which three were blends and the other a 100% Syrah.  My favorites were the 2018 Ditch Digger and the 2014 Dirt Worshipper, stunningly opulent yet with a vein of fresh acidity.  Savory and stunning in their complexity, these wines have an incredibly long finish, literally suspended in time, as the flavors resonate in your mouth.  Also captivating, the 2018 Ditch Digger Concrete, it’s an elegant and expressive blend, striking in its beautiful perfumed bouquet.  I wasn’t the only one who was enchanted, on a busy Sunday, Denner’s inside and outside tasting areas were populated with enthusiastic wine tasters.  The Comus Vista public tasting room is a beautiful indoor/outdoor space, with vineyard and valley views.  Open everyday from 10am - 4pm, the tasting fee is $25, which is waived upon bottle purchase.  To learn more about Denner Vineyards, see my previous article, “The Opulent and Thrilling Wines of Denner Vineyards”.

Alta Colina's high hill vineyard

These trailers are available for overnight stays, right in the vineyard

Bob Tillman and winemaker Molly Lonborg with his award-winning wines

Bob Tillman checking out the foot treading of freshly harvested Viognier

Alta Colina inhabits the secret to making superior wines, it is grown in the vineyards.  Farming at the highest organic level (not certified), and planting on the best sites on their “high hill” estate, the Rhône varietals bask in the sun while coastal breezes keep the acidity in the grapes.  This is a family-run winery in the truest sense, owned and operated by Bob and Lynn Tillman, along with their daughter, Maggie.  The vineyards are sustainable, especially with water use, Bob cleverly outfitted the vineyards with water sensors that alert them to when the vines need water, no guesswork involved, reaping the benefits of enormous water savings.  Their Rhône-style wines are Bob’s retirement project, and his goal is to make “the best wines in Paso Robles”, fine tuning already balanced and enjoyable wines into bigger, plusher beauties.  Molly Lonborg was hired in 2020 as winemaker, and is slowly stirring the pot, taking Tillman’s very good Rhône wines to a different level.  Alta Colina produces about a dozen wines, I enjoyed the Grenache Rosé, fruity and refreshing, and the Old 900 Syrah, whose name refers to the B-29 airplane that Bob’s father flew in World War II, bright and elegant with juicy red plum, tobacco leaf and graphite notes, the single clone fruit from a single block.  Many of the wines were recently awarded gold medals at the OC Fair, something Bob takes pride in, as these are the wines that he made.  Open Thursday through Monday, from 10am - 4pm, Alta Colina offers outdoor tastings of 4-5 wines, and is proud of their organic farming approach, you’ll appreciate everything that has gone into the glass.  I will explore Alta Colina in depth at a future date.

Courtesy of Thacher Winery & Vineyard

Courtesy of Thacher Winery & Vineyard

Thacher Winery and Vineyard is a link to old time Paso Robles, part of a 4,000 acre Spanish Land Grant until in 1869, the property pivoted to a horse breeding operation.  The iconic KR barn, standing for Kentucky Ranch, still stands witness to its bucolic beauty off of Vineyard Drive.  Today owned by the Thacher family, they are a boutique producer of Rhône blends and Zinfandels, crafting exciting, nuanced wines with minimal intervention, letting the essence of each vintage shine.  Sherman Thacher was an award-winning brewmaster, and parlayed his experience into winemaking.  Their estate vineyard is primarily planted to Zinfandel, but the majority of their wines are made from sourced fruit throughout the Central Coast, allowing for a great degree of experimentation with their wines.  If you’re wondering why the grasshopper on the label, it’s a reference to the family crest of Thacher.

Owner/winemaker Sherman Thacher and Tasting Room Manager Drew Mulkern

Courtesy of Thacher Winery & Vineyard

A dozen wines are generally available to the public, but it gets really interesting when you look at the Thacher Wine Club offerings.  The Tasting Room Manager, Drew Mulkern, totally wowed me with so many unusual wines, some that even I, as a wine writer, had never tasted in its European form.  Thacher is dabbling in many different varietals, Alicante Bouschet, Nebbiolo, Negrette, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Pfeffer, and Viognier.  Besides the experimentation, I enjoyed the bright and fresh quality of their wines, easy to drink and enjoy with food or not!  I had many favorites, starting with the Thacher Pet Nat Rosé 2020, a sparkling blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Viognier, delightful.  Another novelty, the Thacher Own-Rooted Chenin Blanc 2019, a textured, mineral wine, with lemongrass and pineapple notes, a beautiful white wine that is made from the fruit of 50-year-old ungrafted vines, fascinating.  The Thacher Valdiguie 2019, is fresh and fruity, like a Beaujolais Nouveau, think red fruit (cherry, raspberry, strawberry) complimented by herbal and pepper notes.  The Thacher Grenache 2017 is a blend of three vineyards, providing great fruit and baking spice accents.  The Thacher Triumvirate Reserve 2018, 100% Zinfandel from three different dry-farmed vineyards, is intense in its fruit, acid, and power, classic Zin with red berry jam, bramble and black pepper.  The Thacher Cinsault 2019, a perfumed nose of strawberry and raspberry fruit, lavender, and white pepper notes, I was smitten with this wine.  And, finally, the Thacher El Alvaro 2017, a GSM co-fermented with Viognier, is a dark-fruited beauty, caressed by sweet spice, savory cured meat, and toasted marshmallow essence.   

​Thacher is open for wine tastings every day, from 11am - 5pm, reservations encouraged, with outdoor tables where you can lounge, and the newly renovated Stables tasting area with personalized one on one tastings, and if you’re lucky, you’ll see the wild turkeys walk the vine rows in the afternoon sun.

Tablas Creek Vineyard

Jason Haas at the original nursery where grafting took place

Grafting vines with the Omega cut

Future site of Tablas Creek's Demonstration vineyard, planted to all 14 varietals

Tablas Creek Vineyard is an important part of what Paso Robles wine has become today, pioneering California’s Rhône wine movement over thirty years ago, the result of an international friendship between the Haas family of Vineyard Brands and France’s esteemed Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel.  Their fascinating journey led to the import of the best quality vines from the Beaucastel estate, and after quarantining the vines, Tablas Creek set up its own nursery, multiplying and grafting the vines to plant out their limestone-rich vineyard, 200,000 plants in all.  Today, Tablas Creek has been responsible for sending out almost five million plants all over the US, growing the Rhône movement and fans of the Rhône-style wines produced.
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Because of their ties to the Southern Rhône and specifically Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tablas Creek follows the practice of blending wines for elegance and complexity.  Thirteen varietals are approved in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, and all have been planted at Tablas Creek, or as Jason Haas says, “14 varietals, counting Grenache Blanc as a separate varietal from Grenache Noir”.  Making the wines authentic are winemaking practices such as dry farming, native yeast fermentation, and aging in large, neutral French oak foudres.  Tablas Creek has expanded on that, going organic, biodynamic, and now the future, regenerative farming, that will be their defense against a changing climate.

Outside tasting patio

Indoor tasting bar

Jason Haas explains how their limestone soils contribute character to their wines

Jason Haas serving up tastings by flight

It's all about the limestone soils!

Tablas Creek produces over twenty wines each year, from their flagship Esprit de Tablas, Côtes de Tablas and Patelin de Tablas (neighborhood wine, not estate) blends, plus select varietal wines based on exceptional vintages.  The essence of Tablas Creek is fresh and bright, with a little bit of intrigue, as the vineyards mature and add that something special to the wines.  Tasting a dozen wines, I have to say I loved them all, a synopsis of my very favorites. The Grenache Blanc 2020 for its aromas and flavors, texture and long finish. The Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2018, beautiful fruit, vibrant acidity, weight and long finish.  The Tannat 2018 for its dense and savory palate and salinity on the finish.

Open for outdoor tastings every day 10am - 4pm, by reservation.  Indoor tastings at the bar with views of the wine cellar require proof of vaccination.  Enhanced Covid protocols are followed for everyone’s safety.

​Tablas Creek's story is immense, and so I will do a profile on them later.  Thanks to Jason Haas for spending the afternoon with me, and showing me the future of their winery, stay tuned.

Sixmilebridge Estate

Premium Cabernet Sauvignon clusters

Personalized wine tasting

Wine descriptors come to life, helping wine tasters identify what they smell and taste

Sixmilebridge's Irish roots

There's limestone in those hills!

Sixmilebridge is the new kid on the winemaking block, opening last year with a very specific goal, to make the finest small batch, premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux style blends only from their organically farmed estate vineyards.  Local superstar winemaker Anthony Yount is onboard, helping to craft exceptional wines from the steep vineyard fruit.  The name refers to the owner, Jim Moroney’s Irish roots, Sixmilebridge is a small town in County Clare, Ireland, where his great grandparents emigrated from to the US.  These boutique wines are elegant and dense, the powerful red blends encompassing a work in progress, as the wines are slowly released from their aging slumber.  These impressive wines are in their infancy, and have accumulated quite a fan club among those in the know.  The Estate Cuvée reflects the vintage year, with the percentages of the five varietals shifting to make the best wine possible.  Case in point, I tasted the 2017 alongside the 2018, different in its aromas and flavors, 2017 more blackberry, leather, graphite and pomegranate, the 2018 expressing blueberry, coffee bean, and plum, both constantly evolved in the glass.  One-on-one hosted tastings for a personalized experience are available with a prepaid reservation everyday from 10am - 4pm.

A tasting of five of Epoch's wines

Basket press from the old York Mountain winery was used from 1890 through 1970

Epoch Estate Wines make Rhône style, Tempranillo and Zinfandel wines from three different vineyards, two of them a significant part of the history of Paso Robles wine.  Owners Liz and Bill Armstrong consider themselves stewards of this land and the legacy behind them, which goes back over a hundred years.  The old York Mountain Winery, the first bonded winery on the Central Coast, has been renovated, saving as many bricks and beams from the original winery that they could, and transformed into their sleek new tasting room.  The Paderewski Vineyard, originally planted by Polish pianist, diplomat and vintner Ignacy Jan Paderewski, has been brought back to life, with new 2004 plantings.  Winemaker Jordan Fiorentini crafts these small production wines to reflect the individual vineyards’ character.  Over a dozen wines are produced, with colorful labels and fun names,.  My favorites, starting with the 2020 Rosé, a GSM Mourvedre-dominant blend, crackles with vibrant acidity and flavors of strawberry, pink grapefuit, sweet lime, nectarine, and citrus rind.  The 2019 White Extended Age, a blend of Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne, fresh and mineral, but evolves into a creamy texture, with white peach, lemon curd, honeysuckle and ginger.  The 2016 Ingenuity is a big complex red with red and black fruit, eucalyptus, white pepper, and dried meats notes, framed by bold tannins, giving it a long finish.  I also had the chance to try the 2014 Veracity, a GSM Grenache-dominant blend, bright and delicious.  Many of Epoch’s wines are highly rated.  Open every day from 10am - 4pm, reservations are required, outdoor and reduced indoor seating, with Covid protocols in place.

Paso Robles has something for everyone, of course food and drink are high on the list, because where there is great wine, good food follows.  But there are plenty of leisurely pursuits to punctuate your stay, shopping, outdoor activities, family fun, art galleries, and entertainment.  Paso will enchant you with its laid-back cowboy style, and you’ll find yourself planning a pilgrimage to Paso before you’ve even left.