We hadn’t been to Calcareous in a few years and decided to stop for a tasting during our last visit to the area. Perched up on a hill overlooking Paso Robles, I remembered Calcareous being really beautiful with picture-perfect views. After our last visit however, I think Calcareous might possibly be one of the most beautiful wineries in Paso.
We drove up the long driveway to the winery and arrived at the parking lot. From the tasting room with floor to ceiling windows to the perfectly landscaped grounds dotted with tables where tasters can sit and take in the views, Calcareous was stunning.
The hilltop tasting room opened in 2008 and was named Lloyd’s Lookout, in honor of the winery’s cofounder, Lloyd Messer. We found the perfect table outside and I went in to set up our tasting. I was immediately offered a big bowl of cold water for our dog and was given our first pour – a wonderful 2009 Viognier/Marsanne. It was full of refreshing citrus and great to drink outside on a warm day.
Calcareous Vineyard had a consistently good portfolio of wines with quite a few stand outs. Since our last visit, they have broken into 2 proprietary labels – Calcareous and Calcareous Twisted Sisters.
The winery’s signature and primarily estate grown wines fall under the Calcareous label while the Twisted Sisters wines are made from several different local vineyards. All the Calcareous Twisted Sisters wines retail for $20, which makes it nice if you’re searching for high quality wines at reasonable prices.
We found both labels to be equally good and could have easily purchased 1 bottle of everything. We narrowed it down and purchased two wines from each label. From the Calcareous label, we took home an ’07 Cabernet Sauvignon and an ’07 Cabernet Franc which was full of dark cherry, strawberry and a touch of oak. From the Calcareous Twisted Sisters label, we chose an ’08 Main Squeeze – a perfectly balanced blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel – and an ’07 Syrah which earned 92 points in the World Wine Competition.
Overall we were very impressed with the wines of Calcareous Vineyard and could have easily spent the entire day relaxing on their beautiful grounds. Calcareous is a must-see for anyone looking for a truly memorable Paso Robles wine experience.
CALCAREOUS VINEYARD
3430 Peachy Canyon Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446
Phone: (805) 239-0289
Fax: (805) 239-0916
Tasting room hours: Open daily 11AM – 5PM
Wine-ding Road 
Nice additions…….especially Booker. I wonder if Calcareous relates to geology of the area…….. soils or rocks, containing abundant calcium carbonate…..could be associated with good grape growing…..just a guess
You are right about the winery name indicating the soil type: calcium carbonate as you mentioned; also in the form of chalk, limestone. The family bought the property specifically because it is part of a mile-long
band of rocky soil that is quite near the surface there, and they like wines that come from similar regions.