2019 Le Vigne Winery Merlot Paso Robles 750 ml

Consulting winemaker Terry Culton is a local legend in Paso. Heralded by Robert Parker as a “top-flight winemaker,” he contributed to the ascendance of standout estates like Peachy Canyon, Adelaida Cellars, Calera, Willamette Valley Vineyards. He even crafted wines for NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens’ Paso Robles label.

When you equip a veteran like Terry with estate grapes from a stellar vintage, expect big results. The 2019 growing season will go down as one of Paso’s greatest ever with nearly-perfect weather from start to finish and gorgeous grapes at harvest. The results, according to Vinous, are reds that “show distinct clarity and fine detail, with fresh fruit character and harmonious tannins.”

Paso Robles, called one of the “most dynamic [regions] in California” by Wine Spectator, is a golden-hilled utopia for Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot. Long, hot summer days see the mercury drop drastically into cool nights, yielding grapes that are deliciously concentrated but still boast vibrant acidity. 

This bottle is selected from Le Vigne’s sustainably farmed Domenico Vineyard, which contains the first vines planted by the Filippini family. Those were put in the ground in 1982, two decades after purchasing the land from country music legend Buck Owens. Seated in the Estrella sub-AVA of Paso Robles, its loamy soils are rich with nutrients from the Salinas River basin, and the Pacific breeze helps moderate the summer’s hot days, maintaining the wine’s balance. 

We hesitate to think what this wine would cost if it came from Napa—which is to say, what wines like this will cost over the coming few years.