Once upon a time there were three little pigs. One pig built his house out of straw. That went poorly. One pig built his house out of sticks. Also not a great outcome. The third pig built her house out of clay. And not only did she avoid becoming a lupine banquet, she was also incredibly popular and well liked by the rest of the town. Such is the power of Clayhouse.
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Clayhouse Vineyard wines offer the fine varietal character and soft tannins characteristic of Paso Robles, but with restraint (avoiding the high alcohols common in many Paso Robles wines). The grapes for Clayhouse Vineyard wines are sourced from the Middleton Family’s estate Red Cedar Vineyard in the Paso Robles AVA
2013 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Verdot/Malbec Red Cedar Vineyard, Paso Robles
Dark black-red color. Aromas of ripe black cherry, cigar box, cocoa powder, sweet cinnamon stick, and leather. The wine is full-bodied with black currant and tree-ripened Bing cherry fruit flavors, as well as a hint of cracked black pepper. The finish has roasted coffee notes and structured, sweet tannins. The wine has good acidity providing the ability to age as well as a juiciness that pairs well with food, particularly black pepper crusted ribeye steaks.
About the Wine: 2013 was a warm and long growing season, but a relatively mild summer for Paso Robles. Yields were low to average producing an intense concentrated vintage with expressive big fruit flavors and dense tannins.
We destemmed the hand-picked grapes, sorted the berries, and sent them to their fermentation vessels without crushing. The grapes cold-soaked for three days before we inoculated with yeast to begin fermentation. We fermented in ½ ton bins with manual punch-downs three times a day. We drained the free-run from the must after 21 days, direct to barrels. Aged on the lees for 20 months in a 100% French oak. Racked once at 18 months to blend, clarify and for final finishing in new French oak.
Our family has been working the land since 1898, when we started a lumber business in Aberdeen, on the coast of Washington State. We began with lumber and forestry, and have thoughtfully and gradually expanded our family business to include table grapes, wine grapes, and wine. Today our businesses are at home in Hoquiam (Washington – next door to Aberdeen), Walla Walla (Washington), Delano (California), and Paso Robles (California).
Because we’ve had four generations in the family business, we’re interested in building things that will last, for the fifth, sixth, seventh generations, and beyond. Our wine business includes three wineries: Cadaretta (Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Valley), Clayhouse (Paso Robles and Central Coast), and Buried Cane (Washington State).
The Clayhouse label and brand celebrate a historic home at our estate vineyard near Paso Robles. That 150-year-old adobe structure – the Clayhouse itself – still reminds us of the time when grapes were first planted in this area. The Clayhouse, which we’ve carefully restored, is really the ideal symbol for our vineyard and winery. After all, like the adobe, our wines are created from the earth, cultivated by hand, and nurtured by family traditions.
For the Middleton family, those traditions and deep passion for agricultural businesses go back more than four generations.
Today, Clayhouse Wines extend that proud family legacy with a selection of exceptional wines, all crafted by hand in a refined, elegant style that reflects the unique character of Paso Robles and the depth of flavor that the Central Coast imparts.
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