2018 Eberle Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Selection Paso Robles 750 ml

Called “one of today's most exciting places for wine in California” by Wine Spectator, Paso Robles is a sun-blanketed, golden-hilled paradise for the state’s most prestigious grape. And Eberle’s Cabernet Sauvignon, which helped put Paso on the map, enthralled us with its excellent balance and dynamism. 

Gary Eberle recognized Paso Robles’ potential long before winemakers flocked to its rolling landscape and Wine Enthusiast named him an American Wine Legend. A protégé of Robert Mondavi and a visionary in his own right, Eberle established the region’s first flagship Cabernet Sauvignon bottling. The 1980 vintage was the first wine to include Paso Robles on the label, and Ronald Reagan bought it by the case. 

Decades later, Eberle’s quality hasn’t changed. Their Cabs still awe us with their harmony of richness and vibrancy. Their 2018 Vineyard Selection, from a Paso vintage that Vinous called “extremely high quality,” is especially generous and seductive, with sumptuous dark fruit, spice, and bright acidity, all framed by muscular tannins.

Cabernet’s boldest, most opulent expressions arise from warm-climate regions that have drastic diurnal temperature swings—the sweltering daytime temperatures spawn bold fruit flavor, before cool nights imbue the wine with freshness. Few places in California have more drastic swings than Paso Robles, where temperatures plunge as much as 50 degrees from afternoon to night. 

Eberle and their Cabernet bottlings have been monumental influences in the region’s rise from winemaking’s Wild West to prestigious AVA, and today, Chris Eberle (unrelated to Gary!) carries the estate’s legacy. He sourced the 2018 Vineyard Selection from sites across the region and gave it an 18-month rest in American and French oak, resulting in a wine of stunning power and grace.