Rhône grapes add up to unique and refreshing new bottles from Paso Robles.
Adelaida Vineyards is a pioneer in Paso Robles wine. Established in 1981, it was the ninth winery in Paso. It is family-owned and all wines are 100% estate-grown and organically certified.
We were delighted to have the opportunity to taste three spring releases from this critically-acclaimed limited-production winery. The 2023 Adelaida Rosé, 2022 Adelaida Picpoul Blanc, and 2022 Adelaida Anna’s White all come from the Anna’s Estate Vineyard.
The vineyard is dedicated mostly to Rhône varieties. The white varieties (except for Viognier) lie at the lowest part of the vineyard where they benefit from cooler air. The red varieties are planted at higher elevations to capture greater sun exposure.
Adelaida is located just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The afternoon sea breezes contribute to a dramatic diurnal temperature swing allowing slow ripening and the development of nuanced flavors and high acidity.
The Anna’s White is a standout wine that delighted us from the opening sip. The blend is 41% Grenache Blanc, 37% Roussanne, 17% Muscat Canelli, and 5% Picpoul Blanc.
It's golden yellow in the glass and coats the tongue with rich, strikingly complex flavors of tart green apple, stone fruit, and ginger. The Muscat Canelli adds an interesting twist to this wine. It's aged nine months in a combination of new French oak and concrete. This is a smashing Rhône-style wine. Highly recommended! SRP $45.
We paired the rosé with vegan African Peanut Stew with brown rice and crispy kale topping. The rosé is one of the best we've tasted this year. It has "a lot going on" with 74% Grenache and smaller amounts of Cinsault, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Counoise. In the glass, the wine is a beautiful pink pearl. A contemporary style of rosé, it’s nice and juicy. It offers floral scents and rounded flavors of cranberry and cherry blossom on the palate. SRP $35.
We’ve been fans of the Picpoul Blanc grape for many years and were looking forward to tasting this new release. Our daughter is a vegan chef, and she whipped up a special dish to pair with the Picpoul Blanc, vegan Aloo Gobi Mutter (potatoes, cauliflower, and peas with Indian spices). The wine is aged in concrete eggs and neutral oak for nine months. We love that as it adds an extra layer of texture without smothering the flavor.
Picpoul translates to “stings the lips” and there is ample acidity here that creates a vibrant wine. It is flush with tropical flavors, minerality, and notes of stone fruit. It’s a refreshing glass that certainly goes with seafood or plant-based dishes. Only 293 cases were produced. The SRP is $40.
As if producing wonderful wine isn’t enough, Adelaida is a forerunner in the ecology movement. Only 10% of Adelaida’s 1,900 acres are planted to vineyards; more than 1,000 acres of land remain undeveloped and unfenced, for ecological and wild animal habitat. The winery also produces all of its energy needs from its own solar farm and recycles its pond water for storage and ranch use.
These wines are available directly from the winery via its website.
Full disclosure: These wines were received as marketing samples.
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