Mike and I just returned from California and Carmen and Nancy are there now. On the radio show Carmen and I talked about two of our favorite California winemakers, Cakebread and Justin, with special pricing at Circle Liquor Store in Somers Point, New Jersey.
Cakebread Cellars
We had a complimentary wine tasting at our hotel in Napa prompting us to visit Cakebread Cellars the next day. While some wineries in California, like Peju, go for the French chateau design, Cakebread’s eco-friendly visitor center, located on St. Helena Highway between Oakville and Rutherford, aims for an unassuming rustic barn look. The building was completed in 2019 and represents the actualization of Jack and Dolores Cakebread’s vision for the best wine tasting experience. Their story begins in 1973 with a piece of land and a family with a passion for winemaking. Over the next 50 years, the company continued to expand by building a new winery, purchasing additional acres of vineyards, and producing many other wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot. By 1984, Cakebread was marketing internationally.
Since the release of their very first wine, a 1973 Chardonnay, Cakebread’s preeminent varietal has been their Chardonnay. It’s one we know and love well, and the last glass is often fought over at family gatherings. Our tasting included three wines; their signature Chardonnay Reserve, Vin de Porche Rose, and Apple Barn Vineyard (Anderson Valley) Pinot Noir presented by Lead Concierge in Consumer Experience and Hospitality, Ollie Ciabattini.
Tasting Notes:
- 2021 Chardonnay Reserve, Carneros Napa Valley – aged for 10 months in a variety of cooperage, and 35% undergoing malolactic fermentation and finishing on the lees. Rich aromas and flavors of ripe apple, pear, and a hint of citrus layered with baking spices and melon. Medium-bodied, creamy mouthfeel. Long finish with notes of vanilla, oak, and apple.
- 2024 Vin de Porche Rose, Anderson Valley – made from 100% Pinot Noir. Aromas of red berries, hibiscus, and cherry blossom. Dry on the palate with light body, bright acidity, and crisp texture. Flavors of strawberry, watermelon, and red plum. Finishing with citrus and mineral notes.
- 2022 Apple Barn Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley – the vineyard grows on the site of a former apple orchard that was purchased by the Cakebread family in 1995. Berries, cherries, and floral notes on the nose. Medium to full-bodied palate with a creamy mouthfeel. Fresh fruit flavors of boysenberry, plum, raspberry, and black cherry layered with chocolate, cola, and petrol. Lengthy finish with lingering fruit flavors and notes of minerals and spicy black pepper.
At Circle Liquor you can find Cakebread Reserve Chardonnay, Cakebread (non-reserve) Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and their distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon.
Justin Winery & the Paso Robles AVA
If you’re reading this blog about wine and you haven’t seen the movie Sideways, I highly recommend you put it on your watch list. It stars Paul Giamatti as Miles, a neurotic, melancholic wine enthusiast who goes on a bachelor party weekend to Santa Barbara wine country with his best friend, Jack. Chaos ensues. The author of the book on which the movie was based, Rex Pickett, wrote a sequel called Vertical in which Miles and Jack visit the Paso Robles area and stay at the Just Inn, the inn located at the Justin Winery. More chaos ensues.
Many wine regions are divided by a river. Bordeaux, for example, is divided by the Gironde Estuary and defines its wines by Left Bank and Right Bank. The Paso Robles wine region is divided east and west of town roughly by Highway 101, as well as the Salinas River, and the difference in terrain can easily be seen using Google maps terrain or satellite view. The west has Pacific Ocean influences, thus cooler climate, and is good for growing Bordeaux varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon. East of town is hotter and dryer and better for Zinfandel and Rhone varieties such as Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre.
The Justin vineyards and winery are located to the west of town in an area rich with limestone soils. For grape-growing, these soils drain well yet retain water, positively affect tannin structure, and have the right pH balance to create the acidity needed for long aging.
We visited the Justin tasting room located in the center of Paso Robles downtown and had a wonderful tasting of big reds – Cabs, Zin, and blends. “Isosceles”, their premiere wine, is complex, structured, and built for aging.
Tasting Notes:
- 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Notes of black fruit, tobacco, bell pepper, and herbs on the nose. Blackberry, boysenberry, and vanilla in a full-bodied, fruit driven palate. Medium to long finish and tannins with a bit of grip. We drank it young, but this wine can age a few years.
- 2018 Isosceles – A Bordeaux-style blend with 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, and small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Aromas of graphite, fall leaves, cherry cola, leather, and baking spice. Full body and bright acidity on the palate with flavors of mellow red fruits, blackberry, anise, and cassis. Fine tannins and a lush mouthfeel. The finish is long and dry, yet mouth-watering at the same time. Notes of cedar and camphor on the end. Very complex.
At the Circle you can find Justin Cabernet Sauvignon, Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Isosceles. For more information listen to the Tony Mart Presents radio show streaming anytime on the WPG website. Carmen Marotta and I talk about these wines on the 10/25/2025 episode.
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