As the details of the mysterious "Project Paso" slowly come to light, it's hard to tell what's true, what's false, and what's simply hearsay. Thus, to aid in your understanding, we present the following breakdown of what we know so far:
Fact: Project Paso was first leaked in late June. Like, literally leaked. Patricia Hillman noticed something a leak in her ceiling and called her landlord, who came over, bravely tasted it the liquid collecting in the saucepan Patricia had put down to keep it from staining her carpet, and said, "Hey, it's not bad."
Fact: Project Paso smells of blueberry, molasses, and sweet tobacco leaf, and tastes of black cherry, pomegranate, vanilla, and toasted coconut.
Fabrication: Despite what he may have told you, your cousin Derrick did NOT head up Project Paso. He also doesn't work for the FBI and he's not dating Alyson Hannigan, the redhead from Buffy and American Pie.
Rumor: It has neither been confirmed nor denied that during its development, the members of Project Paso would often say to each other, "Hey, pass-o me-o, another bottle-o Project Paso!"
Fabrication: Project Paso will NOT be available in as an IV, a vaccine, or in a gaseous state, nor will it be used, as your friend Bill said, "To produce a mutant species with thick enough skin to populate Alaska." (First of all, Bill, Alaska is populated; you're thinking of Antarctica. Second, why would anyone do that?!)
Fact: Project Paso was carried out along California's Central Coast, between LA and San Francisco.
Question: is that really "central" or is it just "central to the two parts of California anyone really cares about"? Seriously, we don't know. We don't live in California.
Misinterpretation: Project Paso is NOT a sporty-looking compact car produced by Toyota from 1991 to 1999. That's a Paseo. So tell Aunt Mary to STOP calling her car a Project Paso. It's embarrassing for all of us.
We hope this helps. Now, buy some and learn more.
For over 30 years, we've been partnering with well-known Paso Robles grape-grower Sam Balakian to source the grapes that we've used to add depth and complexity to many of our California wines. As interest in the region continued to grow, we knew the time was right to craft a Paso Robles-centric family of wines that would truly showcase this emerging region. Whenever the idea came up, we would casually refer to it as "Project Paso". When the wines were finished, we just couldn't imagine calling them anything else, and with that Project Paso was born.
2011 Lonely Oak Red Blend 750ml 6-Pack
Our 2011 Lonely Oak Red opens with aromas of blueberry, molasses and sweet tobacco leaf. A wide variety of secondary aromas comes from the different grapes in this blend: hints of spice and boysenberry from Zinfandel, and blackberry notes from the Petite Sirah. Dark fruit flavors of black cherry and pomegranate from Malbec and Tempranillo abound on the palate, complemented by American oak influences of vanilla and toasted coconut. Medium-bodied, well-rounded and fruit driven, this approachable, appealing red blend is a sure crowd pleaser.
Vintage: The 2011 vintage was challenging for growers. It was an unusually cool year with a late frost that aff ected many vineyards, reducing yields and delaying harvest. The weather remained unseasonably cool through much of the growing season, and was devoid of any real grape ripening heat spikes until well into September. Rain and lower temperature returned again in October, further reducing yields and raising concerns of botrytis. These early rain events gave way to the long-awaited Indian summer, with the grapes finally reaching full maturity. While the harvest wasn't abundant, the emerging crop displayed powerfully concentrated fl avors and quality.
Appellation: Paso Robles wine country is centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California’s Central Coast. As one of California’s fastest growing wine regions and largest geographic appellation, the territory encompasses more than 26,000 vineyard acres and more than 200 wineries. With a greater day-to-night temperature swing than most other appellations in the golden state, distinct microclimates, diverse soils and a long growing season, Paso Robles is a unique wine region blessed with optimal growing conditions for producing premium and ultra-premium wines.
Unlike other surrounding appellations with deep, rich fertile valley soils, over 45 soil types are found in the Paso Robles AVA. These are primarily bedrock derived soils from weathered granite, older marine sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks and younger marine sedimentary rocks of the Miocene age Monterey Formation featuring calcareous shales, sandstone or mudstone. Between the combination of climate and soils, wines from this region display vibrantly ripened fruit with dynamic flavor.
Appellation: Paso Robles wine country is centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California’s Central Coast. As one of California’s fastest growing wine regions and largest geographic appellation, the territory encompasses more than 26,000 vineyard acres and more than 200 wineries. With a greater day-to-night temperature swing than most other appellations in the golden state, distinct microclimates, diverse soils and a long growing season, Paso Robles is a unique wine region blessed with optimal growing conditions for producing premium and ultra-premium wines.
Unlike other surrounding appellations with deep, rich fertile valley soils, over 45 soil types are found in the Paso Robles AVA. These are primarily bedrock derived soils from weathered granite, older marine sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks and younger marine sedimentary rocks of the Miocene age Monterey Formation featuring calcareous shales, sandstone or mudstone. Between the combination of climate and soils, wines from this region display vibrantly ripened fruit with dynamic flavor.
The Don & Sons Winemaking Process
At Don Sebastiani & Sons, we strive to produce quality wine at an approachable price, regardless of the outcome of a particular growing season. Our winemaker Greg Kitchens works to create great wines that our customers identify as a reliable purchase. Kitchens has developed a distinctive character for each one of our brands. Each wine's individual profile evolves with changes in established vineyard relationships, available fruit and flavor trends in the industry. Our winemaking approach at Don Sebastiani & Sons is to consistently create noteworthy wines in a style which is recognizably our own.
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