Our Wines

In 2006, after growing what we felt was the perfect grape, we decided the vineyard was absolutely perfect and time was right to attempt to make the perfect wine,  Cerro Prieto Estate Wine. Our 2006 Reserve Merlot was crushed from 1 Ton/acre grapes and aged 30 months in 1/3 New French Oak, and 2/3 neutral French oak. This vintage was impressive and won an International Gold Medal at the 2009 San Diego International Wine Competition among 3000 entrants from Argentina, Chile, Spain, France and California. Two months later the 2006 Merlot Reserve earned a second  International Gold Medal at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition( among 2700 entrants). This vintage sold out literally before we could market it! We have 1 case remainging, used only for vertical tastings, and have a mere 11 bottles remaining, which are reserved only for our clients who buy a full case of wine...and they are limited to only 1 bottle of the remaining 2 time International Gold medal winning 2006 Estate Reserve Merlot. 

Our 2006 Bordeaux blend, aptly named Paso Bordo, is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah. The name is a double entendre, in that "bordo" is the Spanish spelling and pronunciation of "border", (and we are located on the southern end of the Paso AVA, but also are the north face of the Templeton gap...hence the "border" area. The other meaning of the name "Bordo"  is obviously a play on the word "Bordeaux" which describes the majority of our wines...Bordeauxs(Cab Sauvignon and Merlot). Our Cab/Syrah(Paso Bordo) is a full bodied Bordeaux/ Rhone estate blend with ripe plum, cassis, chocolate and subtle oak flavors, housed in firm tannins. Steve Heimoff from Wine Enthusiast Magazine  writes "this wine shows real charm and finesse", and rated Paso Bordo at  92 points. 

At 1 ton/acre, Paso Bordo is an exceptional wine that can stand alone, but also pairs well with many dishes from, steak, roasts, and even lamb,  to pastas and  fine cheeses( cheddars, blues, parmesans). It is a decadent treat  with rich dark  European chocolates.

We have a limited number of cases of the Paso Bordo still available, but due to the few cases remaining, this wine has been put in our library reserve.

Our vineyard is a labor of love, but also is an ongoing project of up to date science, viticultural skill, and  and we truly believe that great, premium wines start in the vineyard. In 1999, we planted 20 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir with the intention of selling premium grapes and, eventually, bottling estate wines. But, we wanted to work and tend to the vineyard first until we thought the grapes and the juice it produced were of the highest standard and quality.  

We pointedly decided on growing premium grapes on low yield vines, 1.5 to 2.5 Tons/acre to allow for maximal air flow and light exposure with no two clusters touching. This practice would allow longer hang time and all the benefits of our world-class terroir. A normal or more standard crop load of 5 to 6 Tons/acre would ripen, but the grape quality is vastly inferior to the 1- 2.5 Ton/acre grapes. Our decision has met with great success as our grapes have sold and been used in premium vintages by some of the top brands in the industry like Justin, Wild Horse, Byington,J. Lohr and Tobin James. We bottled our first estate wines in 2009 (2006 vintage) and garnered a 92 point wine as the result of our 11 years of work and devotion in vineyard and winery. Should you wish to taste our wines, we have just completed our Grand Opening at the Meritage Tasting Room, in downtown Paso Robles, on the south side of the park. We are open 7 days a week, but call for hours of operation. You can also order online by emailing me at pasodocwine@yahoo.com. We look forward to showing you what truly magnificent wines our solid limestone vineyard can produce.

Tours  (Click here for Vineyard Slide Show)          (Click here for Vineyard Slide Show, text-only)

If you are ever planning a trip to the Paso Robles wine country (or live in the area), we invite you to come visit us at the vineyard! We have Eco-Vineyard Tours six-days-a-week by appointment. We know you’ll love the picturesque and stunning views from our steep vineyard hillsides, the flora, fauna and wildlife, as well as information on a working vineyard and how we produce our boutique wines. We hope you will visit this Website often for updated information and events.

Events

We have several events where we will be pouring in the future, so check them out and stop by and see us. Also, visit Larry’s Blog and join the conversation or send us comments. And, don’t forget to join our mailing list to receive our latest information, wine specials and future Wine Club announcement. Our biggest, The Savor event, co-sponsored by Sunset magazine and the San Luis Obispo Convention Bureau, promises to be a magnificent event(Sept 30-Oct 3rd) with 4 days of gourmet cuisine, wine tasting(Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd), and special events including a tour of the Abalone Farm on the coast in Cayucos. Also, we will be one of only 17 wineries pouring at the PRWCA sponsored Paso Glow Dinner, in downtown Paso Robles Park, catered by award winning chefs. Tickets for this event are already sold out. 

New Tasting Room

Hooray, at long last, 9 months later, we are finally in the beautiful Meritage Tasting Room in downtown Paso Robles, on the south side of the park. We are open 7 days a week, but call 238- 9456 for hours of operation. Address is 810 11th St, Paso Robles. Our staff is highly skilled and Ms Haley and Ms Michele are not only lovely and charming, but they also know their wines. We hope to see you there and look forward to giving you the ultimate in wine tasting experience, from our national and internationally acclaimed wines.

 Cheers!