El Viñero Vinifarm Cuvee Red Wine Paso Robles 2019

Crafting terroir-driven wines starts from the ground up, emphasizing the work accomplished in the vineyard as the foundation for the final product that emerges from the cellar.  Owner/Winemaker Jordan Crabtree of El Viñero knows this all too well, having made his start in the wine industry as a viticulturist and vineyard manager.  After earning both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Viticulture & Enology with Minors in Fruit Science & Plant Protection Science, Jordan founded Vinifarm, Inc.  He has managed and developed vineyards throughout the Central Coast for six and a half years, and in 2019, Jordan added the title of Winemaker to his resume with the first vintage of El Viñero.  He crafted the Vinifarm Cuvee to highlight the exceptional fruit from the Paso Robles vineyards in his portfolio of clients. 

Paso Robles is California’s largest wine region with wide-ranging soil types and climates, making blends from multiple vineyards a palette of varying techniques and winemaking styles.  While Paso Robles boasts warmer temperatures that traditionally would result in overripened fruit, it has two major factors on its side for producing outstanding wine grapes.  First, many soil types in Paso Robles are clay-based with high levels of lime and magnesium, which lends high acidity and aids in water retention.  With some vintages experiencing desert-like rainfall levels, soil that can hold on to all drops is critical for those thirsty vines.  Secondly, vineyards in Paso are planted anywhere from 700 to 2,400 ft. in elevation, which maintains the acid levels in fruit and keeps the grapes on the vine ripening well into October.
Many refer to Paso Robles as the “wild west of California wine” due to its agricultural heritage, old Western-style landscapes, and sheer tenacity of producers/growers who often shirk tradition for innovation.  One common display of said innovation is through untraditional blends that mix Bordeaux and Rhone varietals in ways not frequently seen outside the region.  Jordan’s unusual fusion combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot from three vineyards across Paso Robles.  Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 60% of the blend and hails from a vineyard on the “Rancho Santa Helena” which has since been purchased by DAOU for the Patrimony Estate.  The Syrah comes from the limestone-rich soils of Caliza Vineyard in Willow Creek District.  Lastly, Jordan sourced the 15% of Petit Verdot from a small, southeastern vineyard in Creston District, where the vines benefit from cooling afternoon breezes traveling through the Templeton Gap and dropping the midday temperatures by 25-35 degrees.

The wine was aged in 75% new French oak barrels and 25% once-used French oak barrels for two years before bottling and release.  Jordan notes the wine showcases “a nice blend of dark fruit, cassis, leafy herbs and cedar notes with a hint of sweetness all emerge from the nose.  Medium to full-bodied, well balanced, and ripe, polished tannins, with a long velvety finish.”