Which Paso Robles winery makes the best Cabernet Sauvignon?
Bald Ranch, at a Crux Score of 94. Cruxvine scores 17 Paso Robles producers whose lead grape is Cabernet Sauvignon; their median score is 85 and their median bottle is $63.
Every Paso Robles producer Cruxvine scores whose lead grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, ranked. Median Crux Score 85, median bottle $63.
Seven wines, four decades, and no Cabernet vintage below 88 since 2017 — the $45 fee is the only thing here that is not refunded.
The only transparency score of 100 in Paso Robles, on seventeen wines from fourteen hundred cases of Adelaida Cabernet.
A hundred per cent estate Cabernet at $90, and a tasting room at 81 that has not caught up with the vineyard.
The Cabernet earns 92 and the tasting room earns 78 — buy the bottle somewhere else and drink it at home.
Eight hundred cases, $67, appointment only — Orsini & Oakhurst is a mailing list with a tasting room attached.
Fifty-six dollars, value at 96, and not one word about what goes in the tank.
Cabernet at $54 with a value score of 93, from a house that owns no vines and does not pretend to.
Eighteen wines from eight hundred cases at $47, walk-in, full additions published; consistency at 77 is the cost of that range.
| # | Producer & verdict | Crux | Avg | Value | Δ med 85 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| =5 | Bald Ranch Creston District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Creston Seven wines, four decades, and no Cabernet vintage below 88 since 2017 — the $45 fee is the only thing here that is not refunded. | 94 | $90 | 84 | +9 | |
| =9 | Amsel Hollow Adelaida District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Paso Robles The only transparency score of 100 in Paso Robles, on seventeen wines from fourteen hundred cases of Adelaida Cabernet. | 93 | $86 | 87 | +8 | |
| =37 | Tarrant & Marchetti Templeton Gap District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Templeton A hundred per cent estate Cabernet at $90, and a tasting room at 81 that has not caught up with the vineyard. | 89 | $90 | 90 | +4 | |
| =51 | Ellery Field Templeton Gap District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Templeton The Cabernet earns 92 and the tasting room earns 78 — buy the bottle somewhere else and drink it at home. | 88 | $80 | 85 | +3 | |
| =57 | Orsini & Oakhurst San Miguel District · Cabernet Sauvignon · San Miguel Eight hundred cases, $67, appointment only — Orsini & Oakhurst is a mailing list with a tasting room attached. | 87 | $67 | 88 | +2 | |
| =76 | Jack Hollow San Miguel District · Cabernet Sauvignon · San Miguel Fifty-six dollars, value at 96, and not one word about what goes in the tank. | 86 | $56 | 96 | +1 | |
| =76 | Kiler Draw El Pomar District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Templeton Cabernet at $54 with a value score of 93, from a house that owns no vines and does not pretend to. | 86 | $54 | 93 | +1 | |
| =88 | Jarrow Grove Adelaida District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Paso Robles Eighteen wines from eight hundred cases at $47, walk-in, full additions published; consistency at 77 is the cost of that range. | 85 | $47 | 91 | ±0 | |
| =88 | Vashon Grove Paso Robles Highlands District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Creston Five wines from 96% estate Highlands fruit at $74, with value at 74 — priced for the district, not for the score. | 85 | $74 | 74 | ±0 | |
| =104 | Cripple Trail Paso Robles Estrella District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Paso Robles Four Estrella wines from 1979, priced at $79, in a room that scores 75 — the wine has aged better than the welcome. | 84 | $79 | 83 | −1 | |
| =104 | Dellamo Vista El Pomar District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Templeton Four wines, eight hundred cases, no vineyard and no additions list; the 87-point room is what you are actually buying. | 84 | $63 | 83 | −1 | |
| =104 | Steelhead Bench Adelaida District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Paso Robles A paying customer with a transparency score of 69, no estate fruit and no additions list — the score is 84 and the billing changed none of it. | 84 | $57 | 88 | −1 | |
| =118 | Orrick Hollow Creston District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Creston Nine thousand cases of $47 Cabernet with value at 92 — the best cheap red in Creston, from a house that owns no vines. | 83 | $47 | 92 | −2 | |
| =118 | Salinas Terrace San Juan Creek · Cabernet Sauvignon · Shandon Named tastings, full additions published, 80% estate — Salinas Terrace's paperwork is better than its Cabernet. | 83 | $60 | 83 | −2 | |
| =118 | Yarrow & Rennick Paso Robles Estrella District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Paso Robles Fourteen wines from 92% estate Estrella fruit and a $50 fee that is not refunded — the wine is 86 and the welcome is 79. | 83 | $66 | 82 | −2 | |
| =167 | Lindqvist Crossing San Juan Creek · Cabernet Sauvignon · Shandon Four wines, fourteen thousand cases, a 66-point room and a $50 fee — the fee buys you very little here. | 79 | $47 | 87 | −6 | |
| =183 | Nolby Trail Paso Robles Estrella District · Cabernet Sauvignon · Paso Robles Seven wines, eight hundred cases, free to taste, walk in, and a 67-point room: cheap in every sense. | 75 | $41 | 78 | −10 |
Bald Ranch, at a Crux Score of 94. Cruxvine scores 17 Paso Robles producers whose lead grape is Cabernet Sauvignon; their median score is 85 and their median bottle is $63.
Among the 17 Paso Robles producers Cruxvine scores with Cabernet Sauvignon as their lead grape, the median Crux Score is 85, against 85 for the appellation across all grapes.