The powerful wines of Paso Robles find a lot of fans in Santa Barbara, and many of them are members of Epicurean Santa Barbara. The food and drink society regularly invites the region’s celebrated vintners to town for intimate tastings and paired dinners. The next installment, which is open to non-members, is a five-course dinner at Hotel Californian featuring more than one dozen new releases and library wines from Law Estates on December 28.
The winery on Paso’s westside was founded in 2007 by Don and Susie Law, who sought a place to make Rhône- and Priorat-style wines. The property’s high elevation, steep slopes, and limestone-laced soils make that possible, and they’ve slowly expanded their lineup to 11 wines, including expressions of traditional Bordeaux and Rioja blends. The dinner will also feature the new Black Label wines, which are single varietal expressions of grenache, syrah, and mourvedre.
I asked winemaker Philipp Pfunder what sets Law Estate apart.