Paso Verde White Wine 2020
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Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Paso Verde comes alive with aromas of lemon zest, green apple, and white nectarine. A slight spritz fills out the palate balancing the light body and crisp acidity. Flavors of grapefruit and wet stone linger on the refreshing finish.
Paso Verde pairs exceptionally well with any brunch occasion, street tacos, oysters on the half shell, panzanella salad and lobster rolls
Blend: 41% Grenache Blanc, 25% Verdelho, 21% Vermentino, 13% Picpoul Blanc
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 Paso Verde White Wine is clean, refreshing, and delicate. TASTING NOTES: This decidedly stylish wine shines with aromas and flavors of ripe apple, light spiciness, and a hint of flowers. Enjoy it with a well-conceived beef Pho. (Tasted: October 21, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
Winemaker Amanda Gorter created Paso Verde as part of a larger initiative trialing classically popular wines from around the world in a uniquely Paso way. This wine was inspired by a casual lunch with the team pondering why there wasn't a local light-bodied wine that would pair with well with food, but could stand up on its own. They discussed their enjoyment of Vinho Verde and how fun it would be to have a “Paso” Verde.
Since low alcohol wines are usually either simple, or mechanically manipulated to lower the alcohol, Amanda decided to blend a range of white grapes to create something unique and complex while also elevating the Co2, because who doesn't love a little extra spritz! Paso Verde is our pursuit to explore the versatility of Paso Robles.
Paso Verde is a unique blend of Mediterranean white grape varietals grown in Paso Robles.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.