Adelaida District 2021: Report and top-scoring wines
Adelaida in West Paso Robles is perhaps the region's top sub-appellation. Brianne Cohen selects her top wines from Adelaida from her Paso Robles 2021 vintage report.
Home of top-quality Paso wine, Adelaida is the westernmost of the sub-districts and closest to the Pacific Ocean.
At its closest point, Adelaida lies just less than 10km from the coast, with the Santa Lucia Range mountains in between the two. The average rainfall in Adelaida is generally the highest in the Paso region, at 635mm per year, and in 2021 the bulk of the rain came from one late-winter storm.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Adelaida District 2021 wines
Tablas Creek reported 330mm of rainfall that year, with 300mm coming from that one storm. The Adelaida district boasts the highest elevation in Paso, up to 670m.
Molly Lonborg at Alta Colina said: ‘Because of our high elevation, we have a lot of high-intensity fruit, a lot of colour and a lot of tannin.’ Soils are limestone dominant with water-retaining properties and give the ability to retain freshness and acidity in the wines.
Jason Haas, proprietor at Tablas Creek Vineyard, calls 2021 in Paso Robles ‘the recipe for a really great, blockbuster-style vintage’ and ‘as you would if you could design a vintage from scratch’.
Paso Robles: know your vintages
2020: 3/5
A difficult vintage from all sides, including drought, dramatic heat spikes and smoke from nearby wildfires, coupled with pandemic-related stressors, including facemasks. Widely mixed quality, depending on the producer. Not all producers made wine due to smoke taint or potential smoke taint issues from wildfires.
2019: 5/5
An excellent vintage on all accounts. The 2019 growing season and the harvest were ‘perfect’, with many reports of it being ‘one of the best’ and ‘favourite’ vintages in recent history. The wines are dense, structured, powerful and will be very long-lived.
2018: 4.5/5
A desirable, long-growing season crafting wines that are classic, structured and intense in fruit. Wines with firm tannins and ageing potential. A strong, powerhouse vintage.
2017: 4/5
A hot and wet vintage with record-setting rain in January. A warm summer with a late August heat spike that slowed maturing, causing a later start to harvest for many. The wines are drinkable earlier with freshness and lifted fruit.
Cohen’s pick from Adelaida District 2021: the sub-appellation’s standout wines
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Tablas Creek, Esprit Blanc de Tablas, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
The Esprit line features flagship blends from the best lots on Tablas Creek’s regenerative organic-certified estate vineyard: rich stone fruit, tropical fruit, and beeswax notes...
2021
Tablas CreekPaso Robles
Daou, Estate Chardonnay, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A warm growing season leading into a cool harvest time gives a tension-filled wine that is both rich yet fresh with persistent acidity. Lemon curd,...
2021
DaouPaso Robles
Alta Colina, 12 O'Clock High Viognier, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A quality example of Viognier with acidity, mouthfeel and texture, a result of both sur lie ageing and battonage. The nose opens with lemon, green...
2021
Alta ColinaPaso Robles
Daou, Estate Soul of a Lion, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
Not yet released, this full, voluptuous and complex wine will only improve with age. The fruit is dominant now, but tertiary notes are emerging. Aromas...
2021
DaouPaso Robles
Tablas Creek, Esprit de Tablas, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
The Esprit line features flagship blends from the best lots on Tablas Creek’s regenerative organic-certified estate vineyard. An earthy nose with brighter highlights, floral violet...
2021
Tablas CreekPaso Robles
Adelaida, Cabernet Franc Signature, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A stellar example of a New World Cabernet Franc from organic certified producer Adelaida Vineyards showcasing varietal typicity. The nose opens with typical bell pepper...
2021
AdelaidaPaso Robles
Brecon Estate, Reserve Mourvedre, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A single-vineyard Mourvèdre clone from the Glenrose vineyard. Dark and brooding fruit on the nose, toasted oak and spice notes. The palate is hyper-balanced with...
2021
Brecon EstatePaso Robles
Calcareous Vineyard, Devil's Canyon Syrah, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A fruit-dominated Syrah expression with blueberry and blackberry coulis aroma notes. The palate shows intensely concentrated blue and black fruits with good acidity, leaving the...
2021
Calcareous VineyardPaso Robles
Law Estate, Beguiling, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A Grenache-dominant blend from the certified organic producer Law Estate, this offers cranberry-style red fruits and rose petals on the nose. The primary-focused palate is...
2021
Law EstatePaso Robles
Law Estate, Sagacious, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A Rhône red blend which gives the best of each variety. Grenache pushes wild berry, cherry and rose petal notes to the forefront, with Mourvèdre...
2021
Law EstatePaso Robles
Adelaida, Zinfandel, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
This balanced Zinfandel from an organic-certified producer offers a lighter side of the heritage grape of Paso Robles. Bright and juicy red cherries and plums...
2021
AdelaidaPaso Robles
Brecon Estate, Reserve Petite Sirah, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A hallmark example of an exceptionally big wine, but with all structural elements in balance. Made from dry-farmed Petite Sirah vines, the nose delivers compote-style...
2021
Brecon EstatePaso Robles
Alta Colina, Toasted Slope Syrah, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
Toasted Slope is a nickname for the southwest-facing hillside where the grapes for this wine are grown. Deep inky purple in colour, with red and...
2021
Alta ColinaPaso Robles
Thacher, Cinsault, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A rare varietal bottling of Cinsault from family-owned and operated Thacher Winery, showcasing some of the best of the lighter side of Paso. The nose...
2021
ThacherPaso Robles
Field Recordings, The Armory, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
Tin City-based producer Field Recordings brings a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from The Armory Vineyard in the Adelaida District. Green notes on the nose immediately...
2021
Field RecordingsPaso Robles
Thacher, Graciano, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
Leave it to Thacher Winery to deliver a modern rendition of the Spanish grape variety, Graciano. Cherries and plums on the nose give way to...
2021
ThacherPaso Robles
Villa Creek, Garnacha, Paso Robles, Adelaida District, California, USA, 2021
A bold Paso Grenache. Red cherries and slight sweet spice on the nose, leading into red fruits plus a cherry cola note on the palate....
2021
Villa CreekPaso Robles
