Vina Robles

We are excited to introduce the inaugural vintage of Vina Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, Creston Valley Vineyard. The 2018 vintage also marks the first year we received fruit at our new winery, and the first time we were afforded its advanced technological capabilities. The fruit chosen for this wine was selected from two small blocks planted with low yielding clones of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon character. At an elevation of about 1,300 feet, our Creston Valley Vineyard’s southerly exposed hillsides, limiting gravelly calcareous subsoils and low yielding clones all contributed to this wine’s rich color, flavor and mouthfeel with structured ageworthy tannins. The ripe clusters were picked in the cool, early morning hours, and hand-sorted on our line at the winery. The next step was the optical sorter where all but the most flavorful and richly textured berries were removed. Fermentation took place in fully temperature-controlled small lot tanks fitted with automated equipment that allows us to tailor and perform pumpovers around the clock. Finally, this wine was aged for 20 months in select tight-grained French and Hungarian oak barrels in climate-controlled barrel rooms.

The microclimate and soils in our estate Creston Valley Vineyard, located southeast of Paso Robles, encouraged us to bottle this limited-production Petite Sirah for the seventh consecutive vintage. Rolling hills, picture perfect exposure and limiting, shallow soils with noticeable limestone all contributed to exceptional concentrated Petite Sirah fruit from this vineyard. Selected from a small upper portion of an elevated block with chalky soils, the grapes were handpicked and sorted for quality in the vineyard. The fruit was crushed into small stainless steel tanks where variable pump-over techniques were implemented during progressive stages of fermentation to enhance fruit extraction and balance out the tannin structure. The wine was then lightly pressed and transferred to French and Hungarian oak barrels to complete malolactic fermentation. This exceptional lot, bottled unfined and unfiltered, is representative of the Creston Valley terroir - where the vineyard’s limestone soil is expressed through the wine’s structured, yet velvety tannins.

We have been crafting Petite Sirah from our Jardine Vineyard since 1999. Petite Sirah was one of our first choices to plant in Paso Robles and we quickly realized its potential. Since then, we have increased our focus on this exciting varietal. The name Fore relates to our 20 year old Jardine Vineyard, where golf balls are often found from the nearby golf course. Planted in well-drained soils, the vines are very low yielding, resulting in a wine of high concentration. The grapes for this wine were handpicked in early October and sorted for quality in the vineyard. The fruit was then fermented in small fermenters before undergoing malolactic fermentation and aging in selected tight-grained French oak barrels. This limited lot was then gently racked throughout the aging process for natural clarification until it was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Signature is Winemaker Kevin Willenborg’s hallmark blend of the vintage that is unconstrained by convention–in other words the “signature” wine of the vintage. This year’s blend is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah–three varieties that frequently find an exceptional balance in our region. All are known for their intense color, generous amount of flavor and rich tannins that will continue to develop with proper aging—but each brings unique elements to the final blend. The base component, Cabernet Sauvignon, provides distinctive fruit flavors and rich, juicy mouth-filling tannins to this nicely balanced Paso blend. The Petit Verdot brings age-worthy structure, concentrated color, blue fruits, and violet tones. The “icing on the cake” as Kevin refers to it, is the Petite Sirah—it adds fine layers of rich creamy tannins along with depth of color. The grand result is a distinctive age-worthy wine that rewards those who wait, yet one of perfect balance that allows it to be enjoyed during its journey.

The fruit for this wine is hand selected from our estate Huerhuero Vineyard located in the rolling hills of Paso Robles. Planted as a trial, we soon discovered that this Italian variety responded extremely well to our local terroir and wanted to give it its own showcase. The grapes were harvested at night to preserve the fruit’s fresh flavors. Fermented both in small stainless steel tanks and neutral French oak barrels, the wine was aged sur lie for four months in these vessels to enhance the complexity and its characteristically rich mouthfeel. A balanced, food-friendly white wine.

Suen•de•ro [swen-dé-ro] n. derived from “Sueño Sendero” or the “Dream Path” The name Suendero celebrates the wine’s origins amid the magical terrain of Adelaida Springs Ranch in the rugged coastal mountains west of Paso Robles. Here, at an elevation of 1,700 feet and just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the ranch’s small vineyard is planted in calcareous soils, resulting from uplifted ancient sea beds. These hillside soils, combined with reliable marine breezes, enable us to craft a nuanced Meritage of depth and balance that mirrors the evenness and elegance of a modern-style blend. At harvest, the grapes were picked and delivered to the winery in small lots where they were sorted, destemmed and gently crushed into small lot fermenters. Frequent pump-overs and punch-down techniques were used to extract balanced flavors, color and texture from these tiny, concentrated berries. The wine was then drained and gently pressed from the skins into limited-production, tight-grained French oak barrels. After 8 months of aging and extensive blending trials, the final blend was selected between very small Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec lots. While Cabernet Sauvignon characterizes the overall blend, some Petit Verdot was added to enhance the wine’s structure and Malbec for additional complexity. The final blend was then aged for an additional 12 months in these special barrels to fully integrate before bottling unfined and unfiltered.