Ancient Peaks Winery
NOVEMBER 2024
Located in southernmost Paso Robles in California's Central Coast is the Santa Margarita Hills AVA which is where you'll find the Ancient Peaks Winery. The current owners – Karl Wittstrom, Rob Rossi & Doug Filipponi – took over the property 20 years ago with Mike Sinor as their founding winemaker. Today, Stewart Cameron oversees the daily winemaking operations.
The terroir is special. Located 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, it's one of the coolest vineyards in the region giving it a longer growing season and more time for slow ripening of the grapes, and with 29 inches of rain a year, it's one of the wettest as well.
The Santa Margarita Vineyard is the only vineyard in the Santa Margarita Hills AVA. The winery produces an array of wines from reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Merlot & Zinfandel to whites: Sauvignon Blanc & Chardonnay, plus blends and sparkling wines. It's quite an operation.
2-BOTTLE CLUB
Ancient Peaks 2021 Quarry Cabernet Sauvignon
Paso Robles, California • Reg $39.99 | Mixed Case $31.99
Plums, fennel, spices, a little earth on the nose. Palate adds in cassis, blackberries, plummy goodness. Mocha joins at the end followed by a note of herbs (sage?). Acidity will hold this wine for years. Soft tannins on the finish. Delicious. Fuller-bodied but not heavy. Judicious use of oak. Would work nicely with a savory Thanksgiving table. Winery says to enjoy with lamb medallions, eggplant parmesan, beef brisket with mushrooms, and roast filet with black olive sauce. Drink now to 5 years.
Ancient Peaks 2023 Sauvignon Blanc
Paso Robles, California • Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Perfect Sauvignon Blanc for fall... honeysuckle, stone fruit, citrus, earthy notes on the nose. Hope you can wait for Thanksgiving. Flavors of citrus, nectarine, fleshy yellow plums, salinity on the finish. Citrus, citrus, citrus. Drink now to 2 years. If you want to enjoy with more of a California flair, winery suggestions: cilantro lime chicken tacos, shellfish, grilled tilapia.
3-BOTTLE CLUB
Ancient Peaks 2021 Zinfandel
Paso Robles, California • Reg $25.99 | Mixed Case $20.79
Nose of bramble, boysenberries, raspberries, huckleberries, berries, berries, berries. The nose is super inviting. When you smell it, you think it's going to be full of fruit, and then the palate is subdued. Dark raspberries, blackberries, marionberries. Medium-bodied. Fine acidity (which makes this wine). For a Zinfandel, super elegant. Soft. Long-finish. I think this producer is outstanding.
By the way, Zinfandel is a wine made for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It doesn't go tart with the sweetness of cranberries. The berry flavors pair beautifully with the flavors of fall – sweet potatoes, roasted turkey with stuffing and gravy, and the weight of the wine doesn't overpower the meal. Perfection.
In thinking about what would be fun wines for Thanksgiving (always our November inspiration), a desire for Zinfandel led us to Ancient Peaks, one of the best values in California today, in my opinion. We ended up with the Cab as the primary red (instead of Zinfandel) as they gave us a crazy good deal, and it's the finer wine. Hope you enjoy them all. It's a terrific line-up.
We hope to see you at your wine club pickup tasting (always the 2nd Saturday of the month) to taste and learn about your club wines. We will also have the Portalis EXPLORES club wines open featuring Thanksgiving wines from France. Stop by!
Cheers,
Jens Strecker, Owner
Portalis Wine Shop
If you are here because you’re curious about our wine clubs: Here’s more general info & online signup> You can also peruse the last 12 months of both clubs to get a feel for the themes we pick and the wines we showcase: Portalis EXPLORES (our everyday wine club) & Portalis FLAGSHIP (our signature club).