Team C&J
This Winery Is Permanently Closed.
Winery Rating
Located at:
7505 York Mountain Road Templeton, CA 93465
Wine Club Rating
Price Range For Tasting
Our wine-tasting adventure in Paso Robles yielded quite a few gems, and our stop at Epoch Estate Winery was another bright spot on that trip. From the picturesque vineyards to the jaw-dropping tasting rooms that have been called some of the best in the world, this property is something to behold. Oh, and the wines aren’t too shabby, either!
Wine lovers Bill and Liz Armstrong purchased Epoch Estate Winery in 2003 after a years-long search to find what would become their dream wine property. Bill and Liz are geologists who founded the highly successful oil and gas extraction company Armstrong Oil and Gas. The couple was drawn to the rugged character of Paso Robles, the soil that favored the Rhone varieties they love, and what they call the town’s “cowboy spirit.”
It’s no secret that the Rhone varietals that dominate the Epoch Estate wine portfolio thrive in Paso Robles’ intense diurnal swing. The pair’s talent for searching out prime locations for exploration appears to be paying off if the scores from wine critics like Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Enthusiast are any indication. Keep reading to see the stellar line-up of wines in the tasting we attended.
Winemaker Jordan Fiorentini joined Epoch Estate in 2010, and Bill and Liz Armstrong make it pretty clear on the brand’s website that they are thrilled with her work. Jordan has a master’s degree in viticulture from UC Davis, which means she is just as at home in the vineyard making decisions about the vines as she is in the barrel room creating blends.
Prior to joining the team at Epoch, she was the head winemaker at Sonoma County’s Chalk Hill Estate, and she also assisted with winemaking at Antinori and Napa Valley’s Araujo Estate. She oversees 94 acres under vine that are planted to a mix of Cinsault, Tempranillo, Grenache, Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, Counoise, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc.
Bill and Liz spared no expense when they set about building their dream winery, and that is reflected in every aspect of the property. Epoch Estate was even named one of Architectural Digests, 19 Best Vineyard Designs Around the World, so before you visit, be sure you’ve got your camera (or your phone is fully charged to snap some photos) of this gorgeous estate.
Epoch Estate Winery currently offers two types of wine-tasting experiences.
The Signature Tasting is $40, with the tasting fee waived for every $100 purchased. And the
York Mountain Tasting is $50 per person, with the fee waived for every $200 purchased. If you visit for the scenic views and want to dig deeper into the history of the brand and the property, go for the York Mountain Tasting. If you’re just here for great wine, we think you will be happy with the signature tasting.
2022 Estate Rose, $40.00
The Epoch Wines Estate Rose is an interesting GSM-based rose made from a blend of 63% Mourvèdre, 23% Grenache, and 14% Syrah. Both the nose and palate present dry salinity and a bouquet of wet stone, grass, juicy kiwi, and zippy lime. The palate is pleasant and noticeably acidic. Refreshing lime and wet gravel provide balance to the riper elements of melon and lychee. There’s also a touch of grass.
2022 Estate White, $45.00
The 2022 Estate White is a light-bodied white wine composed of 56% Grenache Blanc, 39% Viognier, and 5% Roussanne. In the glass, the wine is a pale lemon-green hue with a nose that exudes citrus notes of lemon and lime, as well as chalky stone. The palate has more up for grabs, with tropical lychee, passion fruit, and mandarin leading the way and a moderating streak of lime to cut through that richness. Nutmeg and honeysuckle are elegantly intertwined. A nice, approachable wine.
2018 Epoch Estate Blend, $60.00
The blend on the 2018 Epoch Estate Blend is robust and includes 51% Syrah, 17% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 7% Tempranillo, 6% Graciano, 3% Carignan, and 2% Zinfandel. The lead grape on Epoch’s Estate Blend is always Syrah, and the 2018 vintage gracefully integrated the grape’s characteristics. Earthy elements like wet soil and lavender mix with vegetal bell pepper and black cherry on the nose. The palate is lush and full-bodied, with lots of pitted black fruit, soil, and bell peppers.
We like this wine a lot, and so did the critics. Check out these high scores:
2018 Epoch Ingenuity, $70.00
The blend on the 2018 Epoch Ingenuity is 36% Petite Sirah, 30% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre, and 12% Grenache, and the result is a bold, full-bodied Paso red blend with lots of characters. In the glass, the wine is a deep garnet color, and the nose sings with dark chocolate, cherry, tobacco, soil, and clean, wet gravel. Pronounced flavors of dark chocolate, cherry (black and sour), vanilla, spice-filled cedar, and bell pepper explode from the palate.
This wine was terrific, and critic Jeb Dunnuck seems to agree with a 95-point score.
The red wines on the tail end of our tasting at Epoch Estate surprised us because the white wine and rose were good but not sensational. The reds, however, were excellent. If you make it to Paso Robles for some wine tasting, this property and the bottles crafted by the Jordan Fiorentini are well worth the stop.
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