“Thirty-five dollars, free to taste, value at 91, and 2024 ties its best vintage on record — the discovery of the lower half.”
= shared rank: 14 producers score 84
Highland Grade is a Zinfandel producer in the San Juan Creek of the Paso Robles AVA, California. Cruxvine scores it 84 out of 100 — 1 point below the Paso Robles median of 85 — ranking it =104 of 187 producers in the appellation (tied with 13 other producers). Its strongest category is value for price (91); its weakest is transparency (72). The average bottle costs $35, against a regional median of $69. Tasting: 2180 Adelaida Rd, Shandon · Daily 10:00–17:00 · appointment required · tasting free. Cruxvine has no financial relationship with Highland Grade; bottles were purchased at retail.
How the Crux Score works · All 21 producers in San Juan Creek · All 187 in Paso Robles
Crux Score 84 is these five weighted, not their average. The weighting is published.
2180 Adelaida Rd
Shandon, CA · San Juan Creek
Daily 10:00–17:00
By appointment
Free
No dogs · No food service
Tasting room scored 88
2020 carries smoke exposure from the August complex fires. We score bottles, not intentions.
Every producer in the appellation is scored for each of these years. See the whole Paso Robles vintage record, or what 2020 cost every producer here.
Highland Grade is not a Cruxvine customer. Bottles purchased at retail.
15 wines assessed, poured blind across two sessions.
Independent · family-held since 1995. Does not report an estate-fruit percentage.
Declines to disclose additions. Transparency scored 72.
Cruxvine scores Highland Grade's tasting room 88 out of 100 and the winery 84 overall, ranking it =104 of 187 in Paso Robles. Its tasting room score is above the Paso Robles median of 83. Thirty-five dollars, free to taste, value at 91, and 2024 ties its best vintage on record — the discovery of the lower half.
Tasting at Highland Grade is free.
Yes — Highland Grade is by appointment only. It is open Daily, 10:00–17:00.
Highland Grade is a Zinfandel specialist. Cruxvine assessed 15 of its wines, poured blind, and its best-scoring vintage on record is 2024 at 88 points.
The 2021 bottling drinks from 2022 and is at peak between 2027 and 2031, holding to about 2037.