THE STORY
The Decanting Monterey Wine Pod finally took a road trip outside Monterey County and headed down to Paso Robles wine country. Today’s theme: Niner: beautiful setting, impressive wines! This is the first in a series of five posts about our wine escapades down south! I previously wrote about Niner here: Niner Wine Estates: Not “Those” ‘Niners – This is About Farming!
This was an exciting adventure for us. Decades ago, when we visited Cambria rather regularly, we explored the local wineries. At that time, they were so informal and fun. So much has changed and grown – and gone more upscale – since we were last there. Nonetheless, we had tons of fun and appreciated the upscale settings, often able to have a delicious lunch or other food pairing with our wines.
We did their Estate Visit reservation: wine tastings and lunch. We were presented a welcome taste of wine and walked around the beautiful gardens until our entire party arrived. We sat outdoor and enjoyed a delicious lunch and guided tasting. It was good, plentiful food and tasty wines. We received thorough information about the wines – thank you! The atmosphere was very welcoming and relaxing – plus our weather was warm and sunny – something deeply appreciated by us coastal dwellers! I would highly recommend this experience!
ABOUT THE PASO ROBLES AVA
“Halfway between the two main California metropolises of Los Angeles and San Francisco is Paso Robles Wine Country. Located along California’s famed Central Coast, the Paso Robles winegrape growing region’s climate is perfect for the production of award-winning premium wines. A long growing season of warm days and cool evenings gives rise to vibrantly ripened fruit with dynamic flavor profiles that translate beautifully in your glass of Paso Robles wine.”
The Place: “Paso Robles has a long history as an agricultural community, from ranches dating back to barley, almonds and now vineyards. The region’s unique and diverse climate combined with an equally distinct landscape, both challenge and inspire vineyard growers and winemakers who call this place home.”
Wineries: “Over 200 wineries make up Paso Robles wine country. Here you’ll find everything from laid-back tastings under the cover of ancient oaks to intimate wine experiences amongst barrels nestled in underground caves. Enjoying a glass on horseback or after a zip line adventure isn’t out of the ordinary here. Whether you’re looking to relax or explore, one thing is certain; you’ll leave with lifelong memories and hopefully a few bottles of Paso wine to remind you of your time here.”
You can read more here: About Paso Robles.
ABOUT NINER ESTATE WINES (from their website)
The Niner Family
“Richard Niner grew up as one of eight children raised on a farm in rural West Virginia. He spent his childhood working on the farm to provide food for his family, and eventually became one of the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from Princeton and then Harvard Business School. He then began a long and respected career building small businesses across a variety of industries, from sunglasses to machine tools.
“He eventually met Pam in New York City, while she was working as a magazine editor after graduating from Smith College in Massachusetts. The pair married and had two children, Andy & Katy.
“In the early 1990s, one of Richard’s ventures introduced him to the beauty of the Central Coast. The people here reminded him of his upbringing in West Virginia, and he saw the high potential for the area to compete with premier wine regions like Napa, which was booming at the time…
“This return to farming was a return to his West Virginia roots, and in his mind one of the ultimate crops to work with. He purchased his first vineyard in 2001 and spent the next decade building out the rest of the business and hiring a team to help run it. Our tasting room & winery opened in Spring of 2010 and remains the heart of our estate.
“Eventually, Andy took over the day-to-day management of the business and we remain family owned and operated today. In the decade since opening our tasting room doors, we have expanded the business to include a restaurant, Chef’s Garden and full roster of creative experiences for your visit.”
THE WINES
I have 8 wines to present to you today from Niner Wine Estates. Winery notes come from their website, bottles or the tasting room, unless otherwise indicated. My notes are significantly enhanced by the Decanting Monterey Wine Pod. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
2021 Niner Wine Estates Reserve Grenache Blanc, Heart Hill Vineyard, Willow Creek District, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County, 14.7% ABV, $55 (#1169)
Winery Notes: “In 2021 we harvested our Grenache Blanc at the beginning of October, a few weeks later than usual. The long, cool growing season led to perfectly balanced and vibrant fruit. We whole cluster pressed the grapes and fermented them in French oak puncheons. After fermentation, the wine was transferred to an 800-gallon foudre to age for 10 months before bottling in August of 2022. The result is a rich, evolved wine. A clean minerality is balanced by richer flavors of mandarin, honey and toasted graham cracker. Drink now through 2028.”
My Review: Cream soda in color. Pear and honey(suckle) in the nose. Sweet honey viscosity up front followed by a crisp and slightly acidic palate with a grapefruit finish. August 2023
2022 Niner Wine Estates Sauvignon Blanc, Jespersen Ranch, Edna Valley AVA, San Luis Obispo County, 14.2% ABV, $40 (#1170)
Winery Notes: “…The 2022 vintage has juicy acidity, ripe tropical fruit and lemongrass flavors. It’s aromatically stunning, with pineapple, mandarin and kiwi flavors balanced by grassy notes. A fantastic representation of the cool-climate vineyard site…”
My Review: Light lemon in the glass. Tropical freshness on the nose. Delicious palate of pineapple and lemon. Good acidity. August 2023
2021 Niner Wine Estates Pinot Noir, Jespersen Ranch, Edna Valley AVA, San Luis Obispo County, 14.35% ABV, $50 (#1171)
Winery Notes: “Jespersen Ranch’s foggy mornings and coastal breezes create perfect growing conditions for Pinot Noir. After hand-harvesting the grapes, we fermented them in small, stainless steel, open-top tanks. About ¼ of the fermentations included a whole-cluster component, which adds a delicate tannin structure, spice and length to the wine. The 2020 vintage includes only the highest quality, free-run juice aged for 10 months in French Oak barrels. The wine is full of red fruit flavors, with a bright and juicy palate underscored by warming potpourri, spice and clay flavors.”
My Review: Light ruby in the glass. Very cherry on the nose. A raisin-y bitterness floats over the cherry Pinot Noir. I’m not a Pinot Noir fan and am doing my best here. Representative of Central Coast Pinot Noir. August 2023
2019 Niner Wine Estates Grenache, Jespersen Ranch, Edna Valley AVA, San Luis Obispo County, 14.6% ABV, $65 (#1172)
Winery Notes: “The 2019 Grenache is sold out. We farm nine acres of Grenache at Jespersen Ranch where the extreme coastal environment produces a remarkable expression of the varietal. In 2019, a cool spring and summer gave us perfect conditions for a long, slow-growing season. We hand-harvested our Grenache in late October and fermented the grapes in open-top stainless steel tanks. The wine was basket pressed for light extraction and transferred to French Oak barrels. We kept the percentage of new oak barrels low to focus on the fresh, bright fruit flavors. The result is a lively and elegant expression of Grenache. Raspberry, strawberry and white pepper flavors are followed by juicy acidity and fine, cocoa powder-laced tannins.” Wine Enthusiast – 90 points
My Review: Bright purple in glass. Butterscotch and sweet Grenache nose. Raspberry and cranberry on the smooth palate. Lovely. August 2023
2020 Niner Wine Estates Zinfandel, Heart Hill Vineyard, Willow Creek District, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County, 15.4% ABV, $45 (#1173)
Winery Notes: “This wine comes from historic, head-trained Zinfandel vines that we inherited when we purchased the property adjacent to Heart Hill Vineyard in 2016. They originally came from the Ueberroth vineyard on the Westside of Paso Robles, which was one of the first vineyards in the area. We harvested the grapes on September 25th and fermented them in two stainless-steel tanks, before aging the wine in a combination of French and Hungarian oak barrels for 16 months. This is a lighter, elegant style of Zinfandel with notes of rhubarb and cranberry, complimented by spiced barrel notes. Drink now through 2026.”
My Review: Light garnet in the glass. Vegetal, herbaceous marjoram, vanilla and dirt on the nose. Raspberry and toffee on the palate with a dry, short finish. Pairs well with the spiced green olive. August 2023
2018 Niner Wine Estates GSM, Heart Hill Vineyard, Willow Creek District, Paso Robles AVA, San Luis Obispo County, 14.45% ABV, $55 (#1174) 41% Syrah, 38% Mourvèdre, 21% Grenache
Winery Notes: “GSM stands for “Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre” and is a moniker for Rhône inspired blends made from the three grapes. We farm a small amount of each at Heart Hill Vineyard and create a cuvée with them each year. In 2018 we harvested each grape independently and fermented them in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, we created the final blend of 41% Syrah, 38% Mourvèdre & 21% Grenache and aged the wine for 17 months in French Oak barrels. We limited the amount of new barrels, and the result is a bright and playful wine with wide, drying tannins and ripe fruit flavors.”
My Review: Rich dark ruby, almost purple in the glass. Intense berries and cotton candy on the nose with red and black fruits and a touch of caramel. Lots of fruit on the palate with a slightly tart finish. We liked this smooth and nicely balanced wine, although some of us wanted it to be “earthier and fatter.” August 2023
Winery Notes: “We farm more Cabernet Sauvignon than anything else. We hand-harvested the grapes, de-stemmed them and fermented and aged the wine in a 2,000-gallon French Oak tank. The 2020 vintage is balanced, vibrant and youthful.”
My Review: Garnet in the glass. Vegetal and a hint of traditional Cabernet Sauvignon on the nose. The flavors were a little disjointed in this young wine – recommend cellaring and trying in a couple of years. August 2023
2020 Niner Wine Estates Super Paso, Bootjack Ranch, Geneseo District, Paso Robles AVA, San Luis Obispo County, 14.5% ABV, $65 (#1176) 56% Petit Verdot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Barbera, 10% Sangiovese, 6% Malbec
2020 Niner Wine Estates Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Bootjack Ranch, Geneseo District, Paso Robles AVA, San Luis Obispo County, % ABV, $75 (#1175) 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Winery Notes: “The name “Super Paso” is our tribute to “Super Tuscans” – blends made by Italian winemakers who scorned tradition and added non-indigenous grapes to their blends. The base of this wine is made up of Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Barbera, which we co-fermented in stainless steel and aged in a combination of oak casks, barrels and puncheons. After 14 months, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon were added to the blend. This wine is elegantly balanced and boasts notes of blackberry, violet and cocoa with a long, structured finish. Drink now through 2028.”
My Review: Rich purple in the glass. Caramel on the nose. Rich, dark jammy fruit on the palate. Unique and tasty – our favorite wine of the day. We took some home, but probably not enough! August 2023.
“We are a family-owned and estate winery located in beautiful Paso Robles. Our solar powered tasting room is open daily and we offer wine tastings and a seasonal lunch menu. We accept reservations from 10-3:30pm and our tasting room closes at 5pm.”
Reservations are highly recommended. And I do recommend enjoying their lunch, as well! Their tasting room is located at 2400 Highway 46 West in Paso Robles. You can learn more about their tasting options here.
© Decanting Monterey 2023
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