2011 Tolosa Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

Tolosa was founded in 1998 by Robin Baggett, Bob Schiebelhut and Jim Efird. The business partners began buying Edna Valley ranches and planting them with vineyards. Baggett was a native of the area who dreamed of running a cattle ranch as his grandfather had done, but by the late 1980s viticulture interested him more. Baggett in 2006 started the Alpha Omega wine venture in Napa Valley with the idea of making world class Bordeaux style wines. The success of Alpha Omega prompted him to focus on French style wines in Tolosa too, and in 2015 Baggett hired French native Frederic Elivert to craft Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on Tolosa’s Edna Valley estate. Consulting winemaker is Jean Hoefliger. Under its 1772 Series label Tolosa also produces small amounts of Rhone blends, Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc.

Paso Robles AVA is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and it is considered one of the West Coast’s most exciting winemaking regions. With its hot, sometimes searingly dry and sunny weather, it is especially good country for growing warm climate grapes such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Because many Paso Robles wineries have been successful with blending these grapes into Rhone Valley-style wines, it is known as the Rhone zone of California. The AVA was created in 1983 and there are 32,000 vineyard acres. In late 2014 the AVA was divided into 11 smaller sub-appellations, so starting with 2015 vintages labeling will become more specific on Paso Robles wines, which will now also list sub-appellations. Located in San Luis Obispo County, Paso Robles, the town and its surrounding area, was traditionally a farming and ranching region. But from a few dozen wineries in the early 1990s to more than 200 today, the area is quickly becoming known for wine and risk-taking winemakers.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.