Team C&J
This Winery Is Permanently Closed.
Winery Rating
Located at:
1520 Kiler Canyon Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446
Wine Club Rating
Price Range For Tasting
This 30-acre boutique winery is located on the Westside of Paso Robles and is known for producing small-batch wines from Rhone varietals like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and some nice red blends.
Écluse Wines was founded by Steve and Pam Lock in 1997. A serendipitous trip to Paso in the 1980s is what started Pam and Steve on their wine journey. A friend of the couple had purchased a piece of property that was to become a vineyard, and Steve asked if he could help with the planting. That experience sealed the deal for the Locks and ultimately led them to start their very own wine country dream.
This winery has one of the most charming “Where did you come up with the name for your winery stories?” The French countryside has a number of quaint rivers that weave between villages. Each canal has a lock that allows the canals to lift open so that boats can coast through. An “Écluse” is the French word for those canal locks. Pam and Steve love the experience of traveling through France via these waterways, and because their last name is also Lock, it just kind of fit their new brand.
One of the best things about going wine tasting at Écluse Wines is that all of the tastings take place in the barrel room. This also means that every tasting includes a barrel sample, which is a pretty cool touch.
Tastings are $15 per person with the tasting fee waived with the purchase of a bottle. The tasting fee is also waived if you sign up for the winery’s wine club. We love when wineries don’t require reservations, and we’re happy to report that Écluse Wines welcomes walk-ins. If you’re the type of sipper who likes to stick to a wine-tasting schedule when you visit regions like Paso Robles. You can make a tasting reservation here.
Écluse is also part of a growing list of wineries that are dog-friendly.
The Terrace at Ecluse is a wine-sipping area reserved for members of the Wine Club. Members can select from wines by the glass or the bottle and are even invited to pack a picnic lunch.
The views from this spot are pretty great and overlook the estate’s Lock Vineyard. Lots of green rolling hills, mature vines, and bright blue skies. If you’re not a member of the wine club, you can step out onto the Terrace after your tasting to take in the views.
2021 Rosé
63% Counoise, 25% Grenache, 12% Malbec
$34 Retail / $27.20 Wine Club / $12 Glass
The 2021 Écluse Wines Rosé is a refreshing, low alcohol Rosé with a balanced, mineral-driven profile of strawberry and citrus. A very nice Rosé wine to start the tasting.
2020 Zinfandel
Double Gold – SF Chronicle, 91 pts – Wine Enthusiast
$52 Retail / $41.60 Wine Club / $15 Glass
The 2020 Écluse Zinfandel was a hit with both the critics at the San Francisco Chronicle and The Wine Enthusiast, and after sampling this Paso Robles Zin, we concur. Lots of dark fruit on the palate, hints of cedar and damp earth, and a zing of pepper. There’s also a touch of tangy bell pepper. The tannins and alcohol are balanced, and the finish is long. A really nice example of this variety in Paso.
Piggybacking on this pour was a 2021 barrel sample that the owners pulled out for us. At the time of our visit to the Écluse tasting room, it was just two days away from being bottled.
2020 Improv
23% Carignane, 19% Zinfandel, 19% Merlot, 12% Syrah, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Counoise, 3% Grenache
Silver Medal – SF Chronicle
$54 Retail / $43.20 Wine Club / $15 Glass
Carignane leads the way in this grab-bag red blend. The 2020 Improve was an interesting wine. The palate is grounded in dark fruits, with swirls of oak and an enticing mix of tobacco and cigar box. Subtle secondary notes of earthy mushrooms were also present. It is a balanced wine with noticeable tannins, low acid, and a long finish. One of our favorites from the tasting.
2020 Rendition
44% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 19% Mourvèdre, 6% Petite Sirah
Silver Medal – SF Chronicle, 90 pts – Wine Enthusiast
$54 Retail / $43.20 Wine Club / $15 Glass
The Paso Robles wine community loves crafting a good GSM blend, and the owners of Écluse Wines are no exception. Their GSM is a little smokey, with plenty of cherry, plum, and black fruit. Ripples of pepper add a little texture to the palate. The grippy tannins and balanced alcohol make for a well-rounded wine.
2019 Merlot
$50 Retail / $40 Club
This bottle is part of Écluse’s Winemaker Series. A classic merlot with balanced acidity and a soft palate of strawberry and raspberry with strokes of vanilla. The winery calls this bottle a “crowd pleaser,” and we agree. Just 150 cases are bottled. We expect they will sell out of this one.
2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
Silver Medal – SF Chronicle
$58 Retail
The last wine in the tasting was the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a good wine with a standard Cabernet profile but nothing exceptional. Dark fruit, baking spice, and vanilla are front and center on the palate.
This is a nice little family-run winery where the owners work right alongside the staff in the tasting room. Écluse Winery was recommended to us by a sommelier at Le Petite Cannialis, and we’re so happy that we took them up on this Paso Robles wine-tasting tip. All of the wines were good to very good wines, and the prices were fair and reasonable.
All things wine, and food you could ever need or want — straight to your email!
