Paso's Ancient Peaks Give Up The Good Stuff

I still think back to a particularly enjoyable vineyard tour I took a number of years ago. It was at Ancient Peaks Winery near Paso Robles. Sustainably farmed Margarita Vineyard is the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles appellation. It's surrounded by the Santa Lucia mountain range which are the ancient peaks from which the name was taken. It is the only vineyard in the area, and its location in the Santa Margarita Ranch is where grapes were first planted by Franciscan missionaries in 1780.

The vineyard features five distinct soil types: ancient sea bed, sedimentary, shale, volcanic and granitic. The folks at Ancient Peaks feel these different soil types bring added dimension and complexity to their wines. There are plenty of ancient oyster shells imbedded in outcroppings and even scattered about the hillsides of the vineyard.

The 2023 vintage of Ancient Peaks' Sauvignon Blanc comes from that storied vineyard. The alcohol hits 13.5% abv and a bottle cost me, I think, about $12 at my local Whole Foods Market.

This wine has a faint yellow tint in the glass. It gives up intense herbal aromas, very grassy. The palate has a fresh acidity and is loaded with grapefruit and gooseberry, heavy on the citrus and flintiness. The grassy, herbal feel carries on in the lengthy finish. Pair it easily with any sort of seafood, especially something fried. 

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