High quality wines don’t just happen, there’s a lot of work and planning, and a good bit of luck from Mother Nature. Law Estate Wines is a perfect example, the culmination of a couple’s desire to produce the wines they enjoy drinking, at the very highest level. This, combined with a sleek sense of style that is reflected in the state-of-the-art winery, has yielded notable wines that are snagging high scores and glowing reviews.
A life-long passion for wine condensed into a dream come true for Don Law and his wife Susie. Their love of Rhône-inspired wine blends led them to Paso Robles. Here, in the rolling hillsides of what is considered “America’s Rhone”, the Laws, both geologists by trade, found their pot of gold, a vineyard site that held prized limestone deep within its soils. Their exhaustive two year search for the perfect virgin site, fueled by a desire to make the very best Rhône and Priorat style wines, was rewarded with the Law Vineyard purchase ten years ago. Situated on the west side of Paso Robles, in the highly coveted Adelaida District, the steep slopes were thoughtfully laid out, planted to Rhône and Spanish varietals over 57 acres on south-facing hilltops in 2008. The vines breathe a rarified air, crowded into small lot blocks, perched at elevations between 1600-1900 feet, and cooled by ocean breezes. Rhône and Priorat varietals were chosen, Grenache and Syrah make up over half, the rest belonged to Mourvedre, Carignan, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot.
By starting from scratch, the Laws were able to realize a grand plan, which revolved around sustainable and organic farming practices. Solar panels, gravity flow winemaking, underground processing and storage, and waste water recycling are some of the eco-friendly benefits. Design played an important part. BAR architects out of San Francisco came up with the blueprints for the winery and tasting room, the clean, contemporary lines facing the vineyards, a nod to the expression of place that is Law Estate Wines, and is echoed on the very stylish wine labels. Winemaker Scott Hawley has been part of this vision since the beginning, he has fashioned the philosophy that is Law, all estate-grown, hand-picked, hand-sorted clusters blended into premium, limited-production wines with a minimalist approach.
Law Estate Wines released their first vintage in 2010, whose names are a clue to their influences. These wines are named for the personality traits of people that Don and Susie met while establishing the winery: Beguiling, Audacious, Sagacious and Intrepid. The later wines’ names are evocative, and meaningful to the Laws, such as Prima, the oil and gas company that Don owns, or First Tracks, like “first tracks in the snow”, and Beyond Category, “beyond expectations”. The Law name on the label uses three different fonts for each letter, underscoring the Laws’ expression of love, life, and land through their wine. The black label wines are 100% varietal, highly rated and sought after, The Nines, their 100% Grenache, is what put Law on the map; the white label wines are the blends.
A life-long passion for wine condensed into a dream come true for Don Law and his wife Susie. Their love of Rhône-inspired wine blends led them to Paso Robles. Here, in the rolling hillsides of what is considered “America’s Rhone”, the Laws, both geologists by trade, found their pot of gold, a vineyard site that held prized limestone deep within its soils. Their exhaustive two year search for the perfect virgin site, fueled by a desire to make the very best Rhône and Priorat style wines, was rewarded with the Law Vineyard purchase ten years ago. Situated on the west side of Paso Robles, in the highly coveted Adelaida District, the steep slopes were thoughtfully laid out, planted to Rhône and Spanish varietals over 57 acres on south-facing hilltops in 2008. The vines breathe a rarified air, crowded into small lot blocks, perched at elevations between 1600-1900 feet, and cooled by ocean breezes. Rhône and Priorat varietals were chosen, Grenache and Syrah make up over half, the rest belonged to Mourvedre, Carignan, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot.
By starting from scratch, the Laws were able to realize a grand plan, which revolved around sustainable and organic farming practices. Solar panels, gravity flow winemaking, underground processing and storage, and waste water recycling are some of the eco-friendly benefits. Design played an important part. BAR architects out of San Francisco came up with the blueprints for the winery and tasting room, the clean, contemporary lines facing the vineyards, a nod to the expression of place that is Law Estate Wines, and is echoed on the very stylish wine labels. Winemaker Scott Hawley has been part of this vision since the beginning, he has fashioned the philosophy that is Law, all estate-grown, hand-picked, hand-sorted clusters blended into premium, limited-production wines with a minimalist approach.
Law Estate Wines released their first vintage in 2010, whose names are a clue to their influences. These wines are named for the personality traits of people that Don and Susie met while establishing the winery: Beguiling, Audacious, Sagacious and Intrepid. The later wines’ names are evocative, and meaningful to the Laws, such as Prima, the oil and gas company that Don owns, or First Tracks, like “first tracks in the snow”, and Beyond Category, “beyond expectations”. The Law name on the label uses three different fonts for each letter, underscoring the Laws’ expression of love, life, and land through their wine. The black label wines are 100% varietal, highly rated and sought after, The Nines, their 100% Grenache, is what put Law on the map; the white label wines are the blends.
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Tasting Room Manager Adelaida Pitts shared Law Estate Wines’ story with the LA Wine Writers recently, assisted by Maggie Boneso, over a fabulous lunch at Cafe del Rey. Two black and two white label wines were poured, paired with Chef David Vilchez’s delicious creations.
First course, and the first wine, The Nines 2012, is their flagship, a 100% Grenache blend consisting of two clones, grown in a different spot in the hilltop vineyard, the only northwest slope among the blocks, 9A and 9B, and so the origin of the name. Lots of buzz surrounded the initial bottling, the 2011 received rave reviews and very high scores from Wine Spectator and Robert Parker, lauding the concentration, depth, and texture of The Nines. The 2012 is refined and polished, with raspberry, cherry, and strawberry fruit, mineral, herbal and spice notes, balanced with vibrant acidity and lush tannins that float on a long, supple finish. Such a beautiful wine! Aged in 500L French oak puncheons, the oak influence is minimal, with a small percentage done in a concrete egg. Chef David served a Roasted Fennel Flat Bread, a really delightful contrast of textures and flavors, with Roasted Fennel, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Dried Cranberries and Manchego Cheese.
Second course, the Sagacious 2013, 37% Grenache, 34% Mourvedre, and 29% Syrah, uses a Spanish and French clone for the Mourvedre, adding some intrigue to the blend. Sagacious, translated as sage or wise, is delicious and so well balanced, it seems to have a lightness of being despite being a powerhouse wine. Juicy and full-bodied, with blackberry and plum fruit, exotic spice, a hint of dark chocolate and cassis, it’s fine-grained tannins slowly unfold over a very long finish. Served with an Herb Crust New Zealand Lamb Loin drizzled with a Prune and Porcini Mushroom Sauce, the richness of the lamb was matched by the wine, yet balanced with its acidity.
Third course, the Prima 2013, 100% Mourvedre, is a blend of the Spanish and French Mourvedre clones in Law’s estate vineyards. An opulent wine, it crosses your palate with ripe blackberry and cherry fruit, a mineral spine, accented with a smoky vanilla note, the fine tannins frame a savory finish. Chef David really brought out the big guns, Grilled Octopus with Vanilla Forbidden Rice, drizzled with Squid Ink Yogurt and garnished with Black Radish and Blackberry. The smokiness of the grilled octopus matched the smoky oak notes of the wine, a really great pairing!
Fourth course, the First Tracks 2013, 40% Petit Verdot 32% Syrah, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, is a sturdy wine, with violet floral notes and dark fruit, and notes of dark chocolate. The percentage of new French oak doubles in this wine, from 30% for the others to 65% for this one. Paired with a Coffee Spiced Filet en Croute, with a Blue Cheese Sauce, the Petit Verdot in the blend really enhanced the beef and blue cheese in the dish. This wine needed a little more time to meld its structure and flavors, perhaps another year of aging will do the trick.
Law Estate Wines is branching out into white varietals, coming out this Spring is the Soph 2015, a white wine blend of Roussanne, Marsanne, and Clairette Blanche, that will be bright and textured, with primary fermentation in concrete, and aged in oak barrels. If its anything like the reds, Soph will be delicious. A Tavel-style Rosé is also on the list, a blend of Mourvedre, Grenache, and Syrah, a more substantial pink wine that will pair well with most dishes.
Law Estate wines are sold through a two week allocation process for members, no wine club here. These exclusive, small production wines are only available to allocation members upon release, either a Black Label or White Label Series. If you’re interested in trying these wines, the Winery tasting room is open seven days a week by appointment only, and if you fall in love with them, you can join the Allocation, and share your treasure chest of Law Estate wines among friends!