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.

Private tasting with the vintner

A unique experience of tasting with the vintner was started several years ago and now has grown to several hundreds of individuals tasting with the winemaker. It is a rare experience in that most vintners, myself included, just don't have time for vineyard, winery, and all the other hundreds of little things that make both those jobs essential. Still, I thoroughly enjoy pouring wine privately for discriminating wine enthusiasts, and see to it that I am available to do so if contacted well in advance. Vineyard and winery work always comes first, but if time allows, I am delighted to pour wine for our guests. We do not pour for the public so this is not a tasting room. This is a place where wine fans come to buy wine, and taste with the vintner. There are precious few wineries where all wines poured are either 90-92 pts, Intl Gold medal winners , or both. Just the quality of wines should be enough to interest any fan of wines. To actually taste with the vintner makes the occasion special, cordial, and has been enjoyed by one and all. Not many winemakers do this, but I enjoy interesting people and love to converse with them. Just to be clear....this is NOT a tasting room and is not open to the public. It is by referral, or in some cases, folks will call and set up a private tasting...but this is always done way in advance, and again, vineyard and winery always comes first....hence the need for calling well ahead of antipated time. I look forward to meeting you one day here, overlooking the vineyard, mountains and valleys below.

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