2016 ADELAIDA PASO ROBLES CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Napa Valley isn’t the only region in California capable of producing high-scoring Cabernet Sauvignons… There’s a sweet-spot nestled in the rolling foothills of the Santa Lucia Highlands near Paso Robles called the Adelaida District. The area even caught the eye of Andre Tchelistcheff, legendary winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyards.  Tchelistcheff consulted on the original vineyards that would later become Adelaida Estate, which happens to sit in the heart of the newly formed Adelaida District AVA.  Daou’s flagship Soul of a Lion and their high-scoring Estate Cabernets have helped bring even more attention to this remarkable region in recent years, and wineries like Tablas Creek have been doing so for years.  Adelaida’s 2016 Paso Robles Cabernet comes from the winery’s Viking Estate Vineyard, and FYI, their single vineyard 2015 Viking Cabernet earned 95 Points and retails for around $90.  At under $40 bucks, this is a stunning representation of this noteworthy AVA, and you may want to get yours before the scores follow.

Adelaida’s Estate Vineyards are planted on steep hillsides where they get plenty of coastal influence and large diurnal temperature swings, perfectly suited for ripening Bordeaux varietals.  The soils are chalk rock, and Calcareous limestone, and 2016 marked the fifth drought season for their vineyards, which leads to increased intensity and flavor concentration.  This is a flashy style of Cabernet Sauvignon, but it also has enough elegance and balance to make it truly enjoyable…