Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/53193
TPM RECOMMENDS KALEIDOS WINERY Family-owned and -operated is a given when it comes to vins de garage, and Steve Martell has been behind the wheel at Kaleidos since 2004. His quest for balanced Rhône varietals is visualized in the Kaleidos 2007 Starr Ranch Syrah, Paso Robles. High hillside fruit and a cooler climate produce extremely recogniz- able fl avors─and a gorgeous texture─ that paint the tongue: bluebbery, maple and a dash of white pepper. www.kaleidoswine.com GIORNATA Winemaker Brian Terrizzi and his wife Stephanie, who seves as Vineyard Manager, fi nd Italian varietals to be the key that unlocks their garage door. Terrizzi began his career at Rosenblum and has a degree in enology. His sense of California terroir with a "philosophy of Italian winemaking" landed him on the Central Coast, where he believes these varietals fl ourish. The Giornata 2008 Nebbiolo from the Luna Matta Vineyard in Paso Robles displays lavender—and not overly extracted cherry—with a component of iconic tar that resonates from this diffi cult varietal. www.giornatawines.com STANGER VINEYARDS The Stanger Vineyards, on Paso's West Side, is only 9.5 acres across four ridges. The estate-grown 100% Stanger 2008 Reserve Tempranillo is dry, meaty and earthy, with toffee cedar weaving through a compact bed of tightly wound black cherry. www.stangervineyards.com CALIZA WINERY This is our second "ode" to Caliza (see the March 2011 issue), and the Caliza 2010 Kissin' Cousins is why we're back. A blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, we shared juicy─if not fl inty─ kisses for sure. Apple, grapefruit and lots of body describe 'em, and if it wasn't for the (14.5%) alcohol, we would assume this Paso pour was pure, unfermented fruit. www.calizawinery.com GROUND EFFECT We fi rst met winemaker Nick De Luca at Dierberg in Santa Ynez, then a couple of months ago at Paso's Vina Robles, where he continues to craft wonderful wines. DeLuca also gets to do his own thing, and his Ground Eff ect 2010 "Rock Garden" Red, Paso Robles is an understated mélange of savories, from basil to ginger to cinnamon. A distant "amaro" slips by, and if you use your imagination, other garden goodies will inspire from this blend of Grenache, Counoise and Syrah, including a fruit basket of just-picked blueberries. www.groundeffectwine.com VIÑALEGRE Bob Behlendorf bought a 36-acre vineyard in Paso Robles in 2002 and began making wines from the fruit on the property after the 2003 harvest. The name loosely translates to "happy vine," and we defi nitely smiled after we tasted the ViñAlegre 2009 Primitivo, a big, rich, 15.7% alcohol red that boasts notes of espresso and sour cherry. Dusty and dry, its anise fi nish proves that, as Behlendorf says, "Nature is the master—we are the servants, here to coax and cajole the best possible fruit from the vines." www.vinalegre.com 106 / the tasting panel / january/february 2012