The Somm Journal

{ SOMMjournal.com } 111 J. Lohr 2016 Gesture RVG, Rhône White Blend, Paso Robles At the very western edge of the Adelaida District in Paso Robles are 69 acres of vines in a very special vineyard. "The Gean vineyard is, in fact, the most western vineyard in the district," Kristen Barnhisel, White Wines Winemaker for J. Lohr. "It is our little gem and our newest vine - yard, planted in 2010." Planted with predominantly Rhône varieties— Grenache, Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache blanc—the soils are mostly calcareous with an alluvial base. They also have a high water table and water holding capacity, "which means we can limit our irrigation to one to two times per year, if needed at all," Barnhisel explains. "I love the challenge of making serious white wines that reect their ineyard roots," she continues. "It is incredibly rewarding to take an inherently transparent rape and to find that perfect place where fruit aors, aroatics, alco - hol, acidity, texture and palate length all come into perfect balance." Tangent 2015 Paragon Vineyard Albariño, Edna Valley Next, we move up the coast to the Edna Valley, just a hop, skip and a jump from the quaint college town of San Luis Obispo (affectively nicknamed "SLO" by locals). " is pretty close to the acific cean. iles, to be exact," explains Scott Williams, Director of Winegrowing at Niven Family Wine Estates in the Edna Valley. "We get that maritime fog that comes in every morning, sticks around until around 9 to 10 o'clock and then burns off. The process repeats in reverse in the afternoon to cool us off for the evening." This effect of the ocean breathing in and out into these coastal regions is a trend our panel revisited throughout our discussion. "Edna Valley is a small AVA, and technically the coolest AVA in California, with about 2,600 acres of production," continues Williams. "We went out on a limb with Albariño, but it does well in Edna Valley." ith 0 acres of this panish white ariety planted, ien aily holds about one-fifth of Californias total plantins of lbario. "There is a salty brininess in Albariño, and I can't help but think that the fog has a fair amount to do with that," muses Williams. "So, is it just the variety, or is it its proximity to the ocean?" Scott Williams is the Director of Winegrowing at Niven Family Wine Estates in the Edna Valley. J. Lohr White Wines Winemaker Kristen Barnhisel. CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST

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