Winemaker's Archives -- George Troquato

George Troquato on the Paso Robles Appellation

Cinnabar Winemaker George Troquato became acquainted with the Paso Robles winegrowing region when he was a college student in nearby San Luis Obispo. After years away, George found his way back to the appellation when he decided to shift Cinnabar’s Central Coast Merlot a little farther south. The Paso Robles Merlot that emerged from this relationship has garnered quite a following and recently was rated 90 points and lauded as ”Editor’s Choice” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Here we speak with George about why he chooses to make wines from the Paso Robles Appellation year after year, and what makes the region remarkable.

Located between San Francisco and Los Angeles along the Central Coast, at 24 square miles the Paso Robles Appellation is the largest geographical winegrowing region in California. Long associated with Cabernet Sauvignon, the region is branching out and moving up in the wine world. The area is warm enough to satisfy the long growing season of Cabernet grapes, but also offers a range of microclimates that suit other varietals. George points out one of the benefits of the large region: he can source grapes from the warmer eastern reaches as well as from vineyards in the west that are cooled by ocean breezes.

Why Paso Robles?

George touts many qualities of the Paso Robles Appellation. There are the range of soil compositions, the wide diurnal temperature swings and the relatively close proximity to Cinnabar’s home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There’s also a sense of excitement, openness and experimentation in the up and coming region.

Climate and soil composition are what make the two sides of the Appellation so different. In the east, the weather is very hot, with lighter, sandier soil, whereas in the west, the hills are cooled by ocean breezes and offer Merlot’s favorite kind of dirt: heavy black calcareous soil that has good water retention. The region is also known for its extreme temperature swings between day and night. A wide diurnal swing is desirable because it helps the grapes retain enough acid to produce a well structured wine.

Cinnabar’s Paso Robles Merlot

Since the first Paso Robles Merlot vintage in 1999, George has sourced grapes from a few different micro-regions within Paso Robles Appellation. At first he blended grapes from the north-eastern areas of San Miguel and Estrella with the western grapes of the Templeton Gap. Since then he has moved southward and uses vineyards in the El Pomar area as well as his old favorites in Templeton Gap. George maintains close, long-term relationships with growers in the region, often traveling to check in on the vineyards two or more times a month.

What George Troquato was aiming for when he started sourcing Merlot grapes from Paso Robles was a unique and different wine, one that would offer flavors of black fruit and earth, as opposed to the red-fruit-bomb Merlots that crowd the shelves. He adds that whereas people often think you can grow Merlot anywhere, it really shines as a site-specific varietal, offering as much terroir as any single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

We can expect to keep enjoying Cinnabar’s Merlot from this evolving appellation, because as George says, ““My goal is simply to make the best Merlot out of Paso Robles.”