Focusing in on this diverse region in California’s Central Coast, 2021 tells a story of challenging weather conditions, with drought continuing from the previous year. Yet where vineyards were managed successfully, the resulting quality is being rated as among the best of recent times
After a challenging 2020 vintage, 2021 arrived in this key region in California’s Central Coast with near-perfect conditions, though with lower than ideal yields.
Where successful, the best examples showed power and balance with acidity as a welcome foil.
Jason Haas, proprietor at Tablas Creek Vineyard, calls 2021 in Paso Robles ‘the recipe for a really great, blockbuster-style vintage’ and ‘as you would if you could design a vintage from scratch’.
For many, bud break in 2021 was earlier than normal, there were no major heat spikes, and it was a relatively long growing season and ripening cycle, because the beginning of the season was so early. Harvest was slightly early to average for most, with almost everyone I spoke to commenting on the lower-than-normal yields brought on by water stress caused by drought.
The result was smaller berry size, smaller clusters, and therefore a smaller crop. One exception to this was Alta Colina in the Adelaida District AVA (American Viticultural Area), which achieved average to slightly above-average yields in 2021. Winemaker Molly Lonborg (pictured, p71) said: ‘It was a low yield vintage overall in the region, but with their 20-year-old vineyard, [owners] the Tillman family has been working hard to identify areas that are underproducing and remediate those things, including cutting back diseased wood and laying down new vine canes.’
DEALING WITH DROUGHT
Established in 1983, Paso Robles, meaning ‘pass of the oaks’ in Spanish, is a region with 16,500ha under vine, making it a sizable player in California [by comparison, Napa Valley Vintners records the planted area for the whole of Napa Valley, further north, at about 18,600ha].
Significant temperature variances ranging from 2°-10°C in a day allow the grapes to refresh at night and retain acidity. The growing season is extended due to these diurnal swings. That, coupled with regular late rains, allows grapes in the region to benefit from more hang time, resulting in wines w
