paso robles
2022 Donati Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – “Gifted Wines” & Velvety Tannins
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Donati generally means “gift” from the Latin “Donatus”. Their wines are truly gifts for wine connoisseurs.
We met Briana Heywood, the winemaker, two years ago while in Paso Robles. They had won the Best of Class and Double Gold for their Cabernet Franc at the 6th International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition and wanted to understand other wines they produced. Her background prior to joining the Donati Family was at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines for almost 10 years as an enologist and previous experience with a variety of wineries. She is engaging and energetic with a personality that you just love listening to!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine is 99% Cabernet Sauvignon with .4% Petite Sirah, .3% Merlot and a smidgen of Petit Verdot to top off the wine in the barrels. The grapes come from the Aline’s vineyard that is sustainably farmed and certified in Paso Robles. The wine was fermented in 25% new American oak and 25% in new French oak with the balance of 50% being 2018 or older barrels. They were aged 27 months in barrel and once bottled, held for 10 months before being released in October 2025. Only 123 cases were produced and sold for $58/bottle.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes a radiant purple and magenta sheen with medium viscosity. On the nose, reserved fruits of blackberries and plum. On the palate, this wine bursts forth with the aforementioned fruits with the addition of black cherries, then coupled with subtle leather and sweet pipe tobacco. On the finish, raspberries burst into the taste buds with a modicum of vanilla and dry earthiness. The tannins were velvety and polished, soft and rounded yet present.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was chosen this evening to be paired with a Cross Rib Roast. This was the first time that we had a Cross Rib Roast. The recipe was for a Garlicky Herb Cross Rib Roast, a cross rib roast also goes by the names of beef shoulder, chuck, Boston cut or English cut. The Cross Rib Roast was brushed with balsamic vinegar after inserting whole cloves of garlic into the roast. A paste then was applied consisting of minced garlic, thyme leaves, rosemary leaves, kosher salt, black pepper and olive oil.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Accompanying the meal were sauteed seasoned small halved red potatoes and Brussel sprouts. A very good food and wine pairing. The wine was so smooth, it is one of the few Cabernet Sauvignon wines you could enjoy with food or simply by itself.
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery produces both a larger scale commercial wine offering and very small artisan & boutique wines for direct to customer purchase and their wine club with approximately 600 cases produced for DTC. They are located at 2720 Oak View Road in Templeton, California. Their tasting room is quaint and inviting and more like a family room atmosphere.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Many of their other wines are for commercial and mass production with approximately 7,000 cases for the wholesale market. They are moderately priced for the consumer and a welcome change!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While not one of the “big major names” in Paso Robles AVA, they are getting noticed by wine aficionados and discerning wine drinkers. I will look forward to a return visit on the next trip to Paso Robles AVA.
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Ancient Peaks Pearl Merlot – Paired with a Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans and Pork Chops
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Ancient Peaks Winery is LARGE, consisting of 14,000 acres with 1,000 acres under vine.
As it turns out Santa Margarita is the only vineyard in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA in the most southern portion of the AVA. Some of the more interesting factoids of the vineyard are:
- Five separate soils are intermixed and found on the property, shown on one of their labels.
- The vineyard is only 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean and draws the fog onto the property
- It is the coolest sub-AVA in Paso Robles AVA.
- Being the coolest region, they are often the latest in full maturing of the vineyards. This helps in providing a slower ripening process (often with challenges) but the reward is flavor, structure and with the varying soil types provides unique character to the grapes.
- They average 29 inches of rain with the surrounding Santa Lucia mountain range.
- Their sustainability practices have earned them SIP Certification (Sustainability in Practice).
- The owners of the winery are Karl Wittstrom, Rob Rossi and Doug Filipponi all local wine growing and ranching families in Santa Margarita.
- Santa Margarita was originally settled by the Franciscan missionaries around 1770. In 1889 the area was part of the Mexican Alta California land grant.
- It is named for Santa Margarita de Cortona Assitencia, an Italian saint.
- A rich and detailed history can be found on Santa Margarita and is fascinating reading. https://santamargaritahistoricalsociety.org/
Today they have the Oyster Ridge event building/site which is an ideal spot for weddings, corporate retreats and private events overlooking the vineyards and ranch. Additionally, they provide a host of activities in the agritourism business on the 14,000 acres including vineyard zip lining, wildlife tours and horseback trail rides.
The label called Oyster Ridge comes from so many oyster bed fossils found about the property. Here Mike Sinor is holding one fossilized oyster.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wines by Ancient Peaks – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Learned that their wines have three distinct labels/branding going to market which are: Ancient Peaks, Oyster Ridge and Pearl. Many of the varieties are offered with all three labels/branding. Their white wines consist of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. The red wines offered are extensive with Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Zinfandel and of course the wine we sought out their Cabernet Franc. We were offered to taste “all the wines” but practically speaking it would be too much unless we camped overnight in the tasting room! We did taste many but not all of their wines. A second or third visit is forthcoming to taste their Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir and Petit Verdot.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This Merlot was extraordinary in “mellow-ness” yet provided ample flavor and character. First on the eyes, a beautiful deep red coloring and aromas of black plum and oak. On the palate, there are intense flavors of black cherry and blackberry. The finish was silky smooth with caressing tannins and a tinge of vanilla and cinnamon. The wine was aged 24 months in French oak barrels providing an almost perfect integration of the wine with the tannins. This wine today goes for $54/bottle and on the website today shows it on sale for $43.20/bottle, definitely a wine to be sought after!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with a new wintertime “comfort food” called Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans and pork chops. The Cowboy Beans consisted of ground beef, chopped bacon, baked beans with pork, kidney beans, lima beans, chopped onions, ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Flatiron Peppers Company Calabrian chili pepper was added. The pork chops were seasoned with Flatiron Pepper Company BBQ Rub and sauteed in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Accompanying the meal was a fresh garden salad.
The wine with its fruit and mellowness was a perfect compliment to the beans and pork chops! A very good food and wine pairing this evening.
So glad we picked these wines (and others) from our visit last December. Wine Advocate summed up Ancient Peaks in a quote “keenly priced, high-quality wines that deserve to be better known”.
I hope this article provides you with an incentive to check out their gorgeous property and quality wines.
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Optio Vineyards Grenache – “Optio” Latin Meaning Choice
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Two years ago, we met with winery owners Troy and Michelle LaMar on their 14-acre vineyard. Nine acres are currently under vine. The vineyard is located at the tail end of the Templeton district within the Geneseo District appellation. Their production is around 500 cases a year with the balance of the fruit being sold off. Their goal is to increase production steadily with club membership and getting the word out on their quality wines. They already have won many awards including for their 2022 Chardonnay, Las Vegas Global Platinum Medal with 96 points and their 2021 Estate Tempranillo, Las Vegas Global Platinum Medal also with 96 points! This is the little winery that not only could but has!!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Troy is a general surgeon in Los Angeles and met his wife Michelle as she was a floor nurse at the same hospital. She is now in nursing education. Today with their son LT, they spend as much time as possible on the estate. Their winemaker is Aaron Jackson from Tin City with 23 years of making gorgeous wines. Aaron’s background includes Four Vines, ONX and Saxum wineries. He earned his Wine & Viticulture degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and spent a year in Australia where he earned a Master’s degree in Oenology.
The winery today produces Chardonnay, Inmesceo (meaning blend together of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Syrah and Petite Sirah), Grenache, Tempranillo and Petite Sirah. Had the opportunity to taste each one (a few with different vintages) and uniquely different was that each one was a solid and exceptional wine. Not a so-so or average wine in their offering. Rare and very much appreciated I am sure by their customers.
The name Optio comes from the Latin word meaning “choice” which has paid off for the LaMar family. Troy while in medical school his first day heard a professor quote William Jennings Bryan “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” Literally and physically, the little vineyard on top of the hill, has reached up to achieve many excellent wines.
More information on their wines and vineyards can be found in the previous story at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2023/12/07/optio-vineyards-the-little-winery-that-can/
The Wine – 2020 Optio Vineyards Grenache – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This style of Grenache is old world with layers of rich flavors and juicy, rustic tannins. On the eyes, a very dark blood red coloring with medium-full viscosity. On the nose aromas of plum blueberries, new leather, and clove waft into the senses. On the palate you are awakened to a lively and enjoyable juicy cherry followed by a complex finish of fig, licorice, molasses, and black cherry with hints of spices and dried herbs. The finish shows the earthy minerality and earthiness of these grapes. They use 100% neutral oak barrels and age the wine for 17 months. Only 75 cases were produced. This is one of the best Grenache wines I have experienced! Their current release is 2022 and goes for $62/bottle and worth every long-lasting sip.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was selected this evening to go with Udon noodles and chicken with broccoli stir-fry entrée. Enjoyed one glass with the meal and another after dinner. The juicy red fruit and spices stood up nicely with the vegetables and Udon noodles.
I left the winery with four bottles and wished I had purchased a few more as this was my last bottle. Time for another visit!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2020 Ancient Peaks Cabernet Franc and Mesquite Chicken Salad
The Winery
Photo from Ancient Peaks Website
Up until a couple of years back, I had not tasted Ancient Peaks Cabernet Franc, nor was I really aware of their winery. I was so impressed from my first sip, I scheduled to visit them in December 2023 and have enjoyed their wines ever since. The winery was founded by Karl Wittstrom, Rob Ross and Doug Filipponi. Mike Sinor has been the founding winemaker since the first vintage in 2006.
Map from Ancient Peaks Website
Once understanding that the property contains five unique soil types: rocky alluvium, ancient seabed, granite rock, shale and volcanic you can now understand their “unique label” featuring the soil types. On the property they make white wines of Viognier, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Red wines produced include Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Malbec and red blends. They even produce fermented mead, produced from honeybees. The estate is comprised of 14,000 acres and 900 acres are under vines.
For a complete background and detailed story on Ancient Peaks click on a previous story:
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2020 Ancient Peaks Cabernet Franc wine is dark and opulent on the eyes and with medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, blueberry and blackberry wafted into the senses beckoning and drawing one to partake in the first sip. On the palate, the fruits burst into a parade of flavor profiles, coupled with plum and secondary flavors of coffee and vanilla. The finish was expressive with grippy tannins and an intense structure, not typical of Cabernet Franc from the region. A real surprise and welcome treat!
The wine consists of 92% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot. Their limited-edition offering was hand selected from their finest vineyard rows and aged for 23 months in 50% new French oak. The price is $50/bottle and belongs in their Pearl Collection. The wine comes in at 14.9% alcohol and is extremely smooth.
This wine just made my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in the calendar year for 2025 as it had in 2024! This is truly an enjoyable and amazing wine.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Another light summertime meal when the temperature reaches close to 100 degrees. Paired this evening with mesquite chicken salad. Salad included shredded lettuce, chicken sauteed with mesquite spices, combination shredded cheese, minced purple onion, cut tomatoes and topped with multicolored tostada chips. Accompanied by chips and cheese. While not a typical food and wine pairing it was very good. The fruit from the wine, synchronized wonderfully with the tangy chicken. I always enjoy finding “new pairings” with wines as I remember the anonymous quote “Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you”. Dessert was watermelon pieces (not shown).
Sláinte,
Michael
2021 Donati Family Vineyard Petite Sirah – “Gifted Wines”
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Donati generally means “gift” from the Latin “Donatus”. Their wines are truly gifts for wine connoisseurs.
This story unfolded from Donati’s participation in the 6th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition on March 5th. They won Best of Category in the $56-$70 California and Double Gold Medals from the Professional Judges. They also received a Silver Medal from the People’s Choice Judges. This price category included wines from Lodi, Santa Maria, Paso Robles, Alexander Valley, Napa Valley and Temecula and perhaps one of the toughest categories in the competition. This was their second year participating.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While attending the #CabFrancMasters in Paso I contacted Donati Wines to arrange a visit as I did not know the winery. We agreed to meet on Monday after the event and what a fun, delightful and engaging visit pursued with winemaker Brianna Heywood. Her background prior to joining the Donati Family was at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines for almost 10 years as an enologist and previous experience with a variety of wineries.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
During the visit with Briana, we sampled various wines from their award-winning lineup. We left with two of their wines, one being Petite Sirah. Petite Sirah is best known as offering a more intense full-bodied experience with a signature blend of dark fruit, spice and chocolate notes. A different grape varietal than Syrah.
This Petite Sirah is made with 96.7% Petite Sirah, 2.8% Petit Verdot and .5% Malbec. It won Double Gold at the SF Chronicle Wine Competition. The grapes come from HuerHuero Vineyard in Paso Robles. The grapes are hand-picked with primary fermentation in macro bins and secondary fermentation in barrel. The barrels used were 50% new Russian oak, medium toasted heads and 50% neutral oak. The wine was aged 23 months in barrel and held in the bottle for one year before releasing. Only 68 cases were produced and listed at the winery for $56/bottle. The wine comes in at 14.9% alcohol.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes a very dark and brooding inky purple color with medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, tightly bound up scents of blackberries. On the palate, the dark fruits of blackberry and blueberry reign prominently. Secondary flavors of earthiness, black pepper and a tinge of dark chocolate complete the sipping experience. On the finish, high tannins and acidity and a complete mouth filling experience provide bold and vigorous enjoyment.
The Donati Family Vineyard Petite Sirah displays all the key components of this beautiful varietal. This wine will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted during the year for 2025. Only 3-4% of the 1500-1800 wines tasted make this list.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was chosen this evening to be paired with a 24-hour marinated and then BBQ’ed Carne Asada steak.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The marinade ingredients included, fresh chopped Jalapeño peppers (3 with seeds), olive oil, soy sauce, fresh squeezed orange and lime juice, minced garlic cloves, ground cumin, Kosher salt, ground black pepper with a flank steak. Drizzled with a side batch of marinade fresh marinade sauce and a modicum of fresh squeezed lime juice. Accompanying the meal were sauteed broccoli and Spanish rice with tomatoes & green chiles. The Petite Sirah with its fruit surrounding the spicy meat and was a wonderful pairing.
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery produces both a larger scale commercial wine offering and very small artisan & boutique wines for direct to customer purchase and their wine club. They are located at 2720 Oak View Road in Templeton, California. Their tasting room is quaint and inviting and more like a family room atmosphere.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Here is the lineup of some of their commercial and mass-produced wines. They are moderately priced for the consumer.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
They also have a fair number of varieties of wines for their club members and are sold only in the tasting room. The tasting room is quaint and inviting to enjoy sipping some or perhaps all their wines!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A great visit meeting Brianna with her enthusiastic energy, bright smile and her knowledge of both the vines and making wine. While not one of the “major names” in Paso Robles AVA, they are getting noticed by wine aficionados and discerning wine drinkers. I will look forward to a return visit on the next trip to Paso Robles AVA.
Sláinte,
Michael
2022 Cuvée St E by J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines – A Special Blend
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery and Background
50 years ago Jerry Lohr set out to find all the elements of a great “terroir”, climate, soil and location. He found two regions, one in Monterey County, specifically the Arroyo Seco area. The other being Paso Robles. The cool climate and the development of the vineyards were paramount. Today, J. Lohr has more than 1,400 acres of vineyards. His “go to wines” are Chardonnay, Riesling, Valdiguié and Pinot Noir. Additionally, they have added 30 plus acres in Napa Valley. The winery now offers seven tiers of award-winning wines.
On a personal note, in my mid-twenties, I cut my teeth on J. Lohr Chardonnay as my choice for social occasions. I mistakenly long ago abandoned J. Lohr until December 2022. At a dinner party at a residence in Paso Robles, I was sitting across the table from a most knowledgeable and gracious man, Steve Peck. As we struck up a conversation, I found out he was the VP of Winemaking for J. Lohr for both the Paso Robles and San Jose operations. He quietly pointed out that while J. Lohr is a commercial winery, they do have many brands highlighting artisan varietals and small boutique production lots.
See a previous story written on a visit to J. Lohr in Paso Robles at:
After a subsequent visit and extensive tasting experience, I fully appreciate the quality of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The composition of this year’s wine was 69% Cabernet Franc, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. The grapes were handpicked, and the skins were left on juice for 8 days of maceration. The wine was in 225-liter French oak barrels for 18 months. The wine came in at 15.2% alcohol. Age ability is listed at 2034 and only 639 cases were produced. Price is only $50/bottle and was rated 95 points by Wine Enthusiast!
When opening the wine, the coloring was a deep dark color with enticing purple and red hues with a medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, aromas of ripe blueberry waft into the senses. On the palate, the wine shouted out a light and mellow pipe tobacco, with mocha and dark fruit compote of the aforementioned fruits. The finish was epic with vanilla, not sweet, just pronounced, followed with defined chewy tannins that drifted to the edges of the mouth and then calmly disappeared with a mid-length residual flavoring that preceded. Minimal pyrazines (green bell peppers), mostly just silky smoothness.
This wine will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted for 2025, both for quality and value.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Pulled this evening to pair with a seared and BBQ’ed filet mignon seasoned and served medium rare. Accompanied by a Yukon Gold potato and sauteed snap peas. A fantastic food paired with the fruit and tannins of this gorgeous wine.
Sláinte,
Michael