42 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | OCTOBER 2019
ROCKCREATIVETOP OF THE PAPE
RHÔNE IN
CALIFORNIA
Paso Robles winemakers
showcase soil and
sunshine in white blends.
P
aso Robles has made
quite a name for itself
with red Rhône-style
blends, but they’re not
the only game in town.From the friendly face of Viognier
down to attractive strangers like
Clairette Blanche, white Rhône
varieties are increasingly quenching
this region’s warm-weather thirst.
Here are five producers to watch.
—Matt Kettmann
TABLAS CREEK
VINEYARD
Winemaker Jason Haas’s
family not only has a
partnership with famous
Rhône winemakers the Perrin
family, but plantings in the
Haas nursery also included
some of the first in California
from the French region.
Today, he’s got some tricks
up his sleeve: “I’m excited for
Bourboulenc, which we hope
to harvest for the first time
this year.”
ÉCLUSE WINES
Owners Steve and Pam Lock
add citrusy Grenache Blanc to
floral, stone-fruity Viogner in
their Prelude bottling. “These
white Rhône blends tend to be
more full bodied, complex and
more interesting on the palate
than other whites,” says Lock.
“We have a lot of visitors who
come in stating that they
aren’t interested in white
wines then end up being very
pleasantly surprised to find
Prelude to their liking.”HALTER RANCH
Winemaker Kevin Sass offsets
his zesty Grenache Blanc with
a splash of Viognier, but the
grape he’s most excited about
is Picpoul Blanc, which makes
a stunning sparkler. “It
maintains its acidity in our
warm Paso climate while, but
it also has great mouthfeel
and weight,” says Sass.
“Picpoul Blanc is a colloquial
term that loosely translates
to ‘Lip Stinger’ in French, an
homage to its great acidity!”ALTA COLINA
Owner/Director of
Winemaking Bob Tillman
has been growing Marsanne
and Roussanne for 14 years.
He emphasizes their richness
with barrel fermenting and
lees stirring. “Marsanne offers
delicate, appley notes with a
rich, viscous palate and acid
backbone that goes great
with winter fare like creamy
soups or roasted vegetables,”
says Tillman, who pitches
the variety as a Chardonnay
alternative. Roussanne, he
says, is much richer with “a
hint of honey after a year or so.
We position it as a white wine
for red wine lovers.”BARTON FAMILY WINES
Joe Barton, owner and director
of winemaking at Grey Wolf
Cellars and Barton Family
Wines, makes two Viogniers
from cooler locations in the
Templeton Gap, but he’s also
exploring the fringes with
Picpoul Blanc and Clairette
Blanche. “Through my travels
in Châteauneuf, I had many
opportunities to try Clairette,
and my hope was that we
could achieve that same
texture in Paso,” he says of the
grape, which combines acid
with an oily texture. “I feel like
there is a similar vein coming
through, but only vine age will
give the full story.”