What began as an attempt to craft a comprehensive en primeur report on Paso Robles evolved into something more nuanced. Unlike Bordeaux or Napa, Paso Robles resists sweeping generalizations. Producers here follow their own rhythms—bottling and releasing wines from different vintages at different times, often without barrel samples available for preview. Winemaking philosophies and vineyard practices vary widely, making a uniform assessment nearly impossible. Instead, what follows is a snapshot of recent vintages. Some of the wineries included were first-time visits for me, and I’m eager to return. All wines referenced were tasted at the wineries.
The following is an overview of recent Paso Robles vintages, first shared in my Saxum feature. To make matters simple and easy to grasp, I will use a five-star system, with five stars being the best and one star the worst rating.
2021 Vintage: ★★★★
The 2021 growing season in Paso Robles was a bit of a rollercoaster but landed on solid ground. After a dry winter, things kicked off with moderate temperatures and a steady spring—nothing too crazy. Hang time was decent, letting the grapes build flavor without rushing them, though a few heat blips in late summer had folks on edge. Most producers played it safe, picking a tad earlier to lock in freshness, and it paid off with wines showing bright fruit and solid acidity. Not every wine’s a knockout—some lack that extra phenolic depth you’d want in a dream year—but there’s a vibrancy here that’s hard to ignore.
2022 Vintage: ★★
A difficult year across much of California, 2022 was marked by persistent drought and an intense Labor Day weekend heatwave that tested viticultural and winemaking skill. In Paso Robles, extreme heat in early September forced many producers to harvest prematurely, often before full phenolic development could be achieved—critical for tannin structure, flavor complexity, and color in red wines. As a result, many wines from this vintage show lighter structure and lack the depth of stronger years, though some benefit from lifted aromatics and bright red fruit. Notably, Saxum’s Justin Smith adopted a high-risk, high-reward strategy: rather than pick early, he waited out the heat and manually trimmed desiccated clusters—sacrificing roughly 35% of his crop. He also co-fermented Grenache with Mataro (Mourvèdre), a more heat-resilient variety, to add structure and savory complexity. While 2022 remains challenging overall, wines from meticulous producers show admirable finesse.
2023 Vintage: ★★★★★
Widely regarded as one of the most promising vintages in recent memory, 2023 delivered near-ideal growing conditions in Paso Robles. Ample winter and spring rainfall replenished soil moisture, supporting vine health and uniform growth. A long, moderate growing season followed, with minimal heat extremes, allowing for extended hang time and even ripening across varieties. The early tastings are already displaying exceptional balance, aromatic complexity, and depth. If the trajectory holds, 2023 could rival or surpass the best vintages of the past two decades in Paso Robles.
2024 Vintage: ★★★★
After a wet winter and spring that helped recharge water tables, the 2024 vintage unfolded with four significant heat spikes during the growing season. Fortunately, these heat events were relatively short-lived, and the well-hydrated vines responded with resilience. Harvest occurred earlier than usual, but the grapes achieved full ripeness with modest sugar accumulation, resulting in wines with lower alcohol levels and impressive aromatic lift. Early barrel samples suggest a vintage marked by freshness, precision, and purity of fruit. While perhaps not as uniformly exceptional as 2023, the 2024 wines are shaping up to be elegant, balanced, and expressive.
The wines and wineries in this tasting report
