Paso Robles wineries at $75 and under

#	Producer & verdict	Crux	Avg	Value	Δ med 84
=13	Braithe Trail San Miguel District · Mourvèdre · San Miguel Ninety-nine for value at $40 a bottle, from eight hundred cases of San Miguel Mourvèdre — the price has not caught up with the wine.	92	$40	99	+8
=13	Ziegler Bend Paso Robles Geneseo District · Chardonnay · Paso Robles The rare Chardonnay that is good and cheap at once: 92 across the board, $63, and nothing in the numbers below 86.	92	$63	92	+8
=19	Bellamy & Vashon Santa Margarita Ranch · Grenache · Santa Margarita A perfect value score at $62, from eight hundred cases — Bellamy & Vashon has never learned to charge what it could.	91	$62	100	+7
=19	Calf Gate San Miguel District · Petit Verdot · San Miguel Four wines, all estate, all San Miguel Petit Verdot, $61, and a value score of 100 that the 80-point room does not spoil.	91	$61	100	+7
=19	Paper Flat El Pomar District · Marsanne · Templeton Twelve wines from fourteen hundred cases, only 65% estate — Paper Flat is a blender, and a very good one.	91	$70	91	+7
=19	Shell Fork El Pomar District · Mourvèdre · Templeton El Pomar Mourvèdre at $52 with a value score of 99, from a house founded in 2014 that already publishes its full additions list.	91	$52	99	+7
=19	Wexler Draw Adelaida District · Mourvèdre · Paso Robles All estate fruit, $75, and a perfect value score — the 81 for the tasting room is the price of that.	91	$75	100	+7
=30	Dry Creek Gate Willow Creek District · Petite Sirah · Paso Robles Fourteen thousand cases of Petite Sirah at $65 that hold 93 for quality — volume without visible compromise.	90	$65	89	+6
=30	Larkin & Wexler Paso Robles Highlands District · Zinfandel · Creston Seventeen wines, all estate, $60, and not one of the last ten vintages below 83.	90	$60	91	+6
=30	Whitcomb Vista Santa Margarita Ranch · Zinfandel · Santa Margarita A value score of 98 at $41 — and 2024 is the best vintage Whitcomb Vista has made in a decade.	90	$41	98	+6
=30	Yost & Orsini El Pomar District · Merlot · Templeton El Pomar Merlot at $61 that walks in off the street: 90 points, full additions published, twenty dollars to sit down.	90	$61	87	+6
=37	Chalk Furrow El Pomar District · Marsanne · Templeton Fourteen wines, no sub-score above 91 and none below 86 — Chalk Furrow's whole argument is that it never misses.	89	$54	88	+5
=37	Cordell Fork Templeton Gap District · Zinfandel · Templeton A 95-point room in front of Zinfandel whose vintages run from 82 to 93 — the welcome is steadier than the wine.	89	$62	91	+5
=37	Highland Gate Paso Robles Geneseo District · Grenache · Paso Robles Twenty-eight dollars a bottle and a value score of 99: the cheapest way to drink Geneseo Grenache seriously.	89	$28	99	+5
=37	Huer Huero Rise Paso Robles Highlands District · Zinfandel · Creston Fourteen thousand cases from five wines, transparency at 96 — a large producer that behaves like a small one.	89	$64	86	+5
=37	Mabry & Vantrease Paso Robles Highlands District · Merlot · Creston A value score of 96 at $72 across eighteen wines, and 2024 is the vintage that finally beat 2016.	89	$72	96	+5
=37	York Mesa Creston District · Petite Sirah · Creston Four wines, walk-in, $45 to sit down and 79 for transparency — York Mesa would rather pour than explain.	89	$64	84	+5
=51	Barn Terrace El Pomar District · Zinfandel · Templeton Eighteen wines from eight hundred estate cases at $42, additions published in full — small, cheap, and unusually frank.	88	$42	92	+4
=51	Tar Estate San Miguel District · Grenache · San Miguel Nine thousand estate cases of San Miguel Grenache at $42, value at 97 — the appellation's quietest bargain at scale.	88	$42	97	+4
=57	Amsel & Thorne Santa Margarita Ranch · Counoise · Santa Margarita Ninety-three for the wine, 78 for the room: Amsel & Thorne is a bottle shop that happens to have chairs.	87	$70	80	+3
=57	Bald Row El Pomar District · Grenache · Templeton A 95-point room in front of a Grenache that scores 87, from a house that has been at it since 1977.	87	$70	85	+3
=57	Calder Draw Creston District · Merlot · Creston Declines to disclose its additions and owns no vineyard, which is 70 for transparency and an honest zero for estate fruit.	87	$64	88	+3
=57	Foxglen Mesa Willow Creek District · Merlot · Paso Robles Publishes everything it adds and grows 55% of what it presses — Foxglen Mesa is a Willow Creek négociant that tells you so.	87	$75	80	+3
=57	Hallow Estate Santa Margarita Ranch · Merlot · Santa Margarita Fourteen thousand cases founded in 2012 that already hold 90 for consistency; the Merlot is the one to order.	87	$68	90	+3
=57	Jessup Ranch Adelaida District · Mourvèdre · Paso Robles Publishes its full additions list on a hundred per cent estate fruit at $61 — the numbers here all point the same way.	87	$61	80	+3
=57	Kell Wash Paso Robles Highlands District · Grenache Blanc · Creston Grenache Blanc at $44 with value at 97, walk-in, in a district most visitors never reach.	87	$44	97	+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	+3
=57	Rocky Grade Santa Margarita Ranch · Picpoul Blanc · Santa Margarita Six wines, eight hundred cases, free to taste, no appointment — the least friction in Santa Margarita Ranch.	87	$72	85	+3
=57	Vineyard Grade Creston District · Albariño · Creston Thirty-five dollars for Creston Albariño with a value score of 99 — the cheapest Albariño Cruxvine scores, by half.	87	$35	99	+3
=76	Bald Bend Paso Robles Estrella District · Mourvèdre · Paso Robles Forty-one dollars, value at 98, 96% estate — Bald Bend has been underpricing Estrella Mourvèdre since 1998.	86	$41	98	+2
=76	Boye Grove Paso Robles Geneseo District · Syrah · Paso Robles Pays for a claimed listing, owns no vineyard, and will not say what it adds — the 86 is the Syrah's doing, not the paperwork's.	86	$69	82	+2
=76	Cold Spring Row San Juan Creek · Tempranillo · Shandon Fourteen thousand cases, six wines, full additions published, walk in without an appointment — scale done plainly.	86	$73	86	+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	+2
=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	+2
=76	Ostrom Rise San Juan Creek · Syrah · Shandon All estate, fifteen wines, eight hundred cases, additions published in full — San Juan Creek's most transparent small producer.	86	$61	90	+2
=76	Oyster Furrow Willow Creek District · Grenache · Paso Robles Transparency at 95 and consistency at 80: Oyster Furrow tells you everything, including that the vintages vary.	86	$73	92	+2
=76	Salinas Rise Adelaida District · Tempranillo · Paso Robles Fifty-two years old, $61, $15 to taste and additions published — Salinas Rise has never made the visit expensive.	86	$61	89	+2
=88	Amsel Gate Creston District · Grenache · Creston Named tastings, 92% estate, and a room at 77 — Amsel Gate is better in the glass than across the counter.	85	$72	80	+1
=88	Hemsley Grade Adelaida District · Counoise · Paso Robles Seventeen wines, no vineyard, no additions list — Hemsley Grade is a brand before it is a farm.	85	$65	84	+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	+1
=88	Mabry Knoll Santa Margarita Ranch · Counoise · Santa Margarita Seventeen Counoise-led wines from 96% estate fruit, half a century in, and a value score of 77 that reflects the ambition.	85	$71	77	+1
=88	Marchetti Knoll San Miguel District · Chardonnay · San Miguel Free to taste, all estate, eighteen wines out of eight hundred cases — a 1974 house still behaving like a garage.	85	$51	81	+1
=88	Merriam & Wexler El Pomar District · Petite Sirah · Templeton Fourteen thousand cases with the additions published in full; transparency at 93 is unusual at that volume.	85	$66	83	+1
=88	Nolby & Larkin Santa Margarita Ranch · Grenache · Santa Margarita Nineteen wines, no vineyard, no disclosure, $53 — value at 90 is doing a lot of work here.	85	$53	90	+1
=88	Oakhurst Bend Adelaida District · Counoise · Paso Robles Four wines, free to taste, and a Counoise that has not moved much since 2004 — for better and for worse.	85	$66	80	+1
=88	Rocky Wash San Juan Creek · Counoise · Shandon Forty-six dollars, free to taste, value at 91 — Rocky Wash asks very little of you and returns more than that.	85	$46	91	+1
=88	Stapleton Knoll Templeton Gap District · Syrah · Templeton Nine thousand cases of Templeton Gap Syrah at $53 that never quite excel and never disappoint.	85	$53	82	+1
=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	+1
=104	Chalk Gate San Miguel District · Grenache · San Miguel Fifty dollars to taste a $51 bottle, in a room scoring 75; Chalk Gate has the ratio backwards.	84	$51	83	±0
=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	±0
=104	Highland Grade San Juan Creek · Zinfandel · Shandon Thirty-five dollars, free to taste, value at 91, and 2024 ties its best vintage on record — the discovery of the lower half.	84	$35	91	±0
=104	Huer Huero Gate Creston District · Tempranillo · Creston Nineteen wines out of twenty-two hundred cases is a range problem, not a quality one; the Tempranillo holds it together.	84	$73	76	±0
=104	Jack Furrow El Pomar District · Syrah · Templeton Thirty-nine dollars, walk-in, value at 96, and nothing published about what is in it.	84	$39	96	±0
=104	Larkin Vista San Juan Creek · Picpoul Blanc · Shandon Thirty-eight dollars, free to taste, value at 97 — and a consistency score of 79 that says pick your vintage.	84	$38	97	±0
=104	Lockwood Row San Juan Creek · Roussanne · Shandon Six wines from eight hundred cases, walk-in, $35 to taste: a small Roussanne house with a modest, workable idea.	84	$73	76	±0
=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	±0
=104	York Knoll Paso Robles Estrella District · Petite Sirah · Paso Robles All estate Estrella Petite Sirah with a 91-point room, and 2024 is the best vintage York Knoll has bottled.	84	$74	77	±0
=118	Corliss Hill Creston District · Picpoul Blanc · Creston Fourteen thousand cases from a house that owns nothing and says nothing; the room scores 72 and the Picpoul carries it.	83	$69	85	−1
=118	Corliss Wash El Pomar District · Syrah · Templeton All estate El Pomar Syrah at $61 — consistency at 77 is the price of a young vineyard, not a careless one.	83	$61	86	−1
=118	Cripple Row Paso Robles Geneseo District · Merlot · Paso Robles Seventeen wines at $47 from 40% estate fruit, walk-in — Cripple Row sells breadth cheaply and makes no claim beyond that.	83	$47	86	−1
=118	Kestrel & Amsel Willow Creek District · Grenache · Paso Robles Quality of 80 and value of 89 at $51: you are buying the price, and Kestrel & Amsel is fine with that.	83	$51	89	−1
=118	Mabry & Thorne Creston District · Grenache · Creston Four wines, $44, walk-in, and thirty-eight years of Creston Grenache that has never tried to be more than pleasant.	83	$44	88	−1
=118	Naveau & Corliss Adelaida District · Counoise · Paso Robles A $50 fee for Counoise from a house with no vineyard and no additions list; value at 91 is the only defence offered.	83	$55	91	−1
=118	Nolby & Ostrom Santa Margarita Ranch · Counoise · Santa Margarita Thirty-five dollars, a 90-point room and nine thousand cases — Nolby & Ostrom is the volume play done charmingly.	83	$35	90	−1
=118	Old Creek Wash Creston District · Merlot · Creston Publishes its full additions list at $46 with value at 89: quality of 80 is the honest ceiling, and nobody here pretends otherwise.	83	$46	89	−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	−1
=118	Pennock Cellars San Juan Creek · Merlot · Shandon Fourteen thousand cases, seven wines, fifteen dollars, walk in — competent San Juan Creek Merlot and no story attached.	83	$71	79	−1
=118	Salinas Grove Paso Robles Highlands District · Syrah · Creston Forty-nine years in the Highlands, still no additions list and no estate fruit — the Syrah is better than the housekeeping.	83	$54	92	−1
=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	−1
=118	Tarrant & Bellamy Creston District · Tempranillo · Creston Sixteen wines, walk-in, $20 to taste, and a transparency score of 69 that the friendliness does not offset.	83	$64	82	−1
=118	Vantrease & Ashby Paso Robles Highlands District · Petit Verdot · Creston A tasting room scoring 69 in front of $35 Petit Verdot with value at 97: buy the wine, skip the appointment.	83	$35	97	−1
=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	−1
=137	Bellamy Winery Santa Margarita Ranch · Petite Sirah · Santa Margarita A 91-point room, four wines, nothing owned and nothing disclosed — founded in 2015 and already selling the experience.	82	$57	77	−2
=137	Corliss Draw San Miguel District · Syrah · San Miguel Publishes its full additions list and scores 70 for the room; 2024 is the best Syrah Corliss Draw has made.	82	$54	80	−2
=137	Rushmore Rise Paso Robles Highlands District · Tempranillo · Creston Sixteen wines at $58, walk-in, 80% estate: Rushmore Rise is a Highlands workhorse and does not claim otherwise.	82	$58	75	−2
=137	Thistle Fork San Juan Creek · Grenache · Shandon A $50 fee from a house founded in 2015 with ten wines and 74% estate fruit; the Grenache is worth $64, the fee is not.	82	$64	77	−2
=137	Varney Bend Paso Robles Estrella District · Picpoul Blanc · Paso Robles Six wines, eight hundred cases, all estate, since 1976 — Varney Bend has never grown and does not need to.	82	$55	80	−2
=137	York Flat Paso Robles Geneseo District · Grenache · Paso Robles Consistency at 87 from nine thousand cases nobody here grew; York Flat is a reliable blend and an opaque one.	82	$63	84	−2
=147	Cold Spring Grove Paso Robles Highlands District · Tempranillo · Creston A $50 fee, fourteen wines, no vineyard, no disclosure — Cold Spring Grove charges like a house with more to show.	81	$48	83	−3
=147	Fenwick & Sable Santa Margarita Ranch · Merlot · Santa Margarita Six wines from fourteen hundred cases, named pours, fifteen dollars — small, cheap, and entirely undocumented.	81	$63	75	−3
=147	Hollis & Hemsley San Miguel District · Marsanne · San Miguel Twenty-seven dollars a bottle with value at 93: the whole case for San Miguel Marsanne, made cheaply.	81	$27	93	−3
=147	Huer Huero Vineyards San Juan Creek · Marsanne · Shandon Twenty-three dollars, free to taste, value at 95 — the cheapest white in the appellation, and not a compromise.	81	$23	95	−3
=147	Jack Gate Santa Margarita Ranch · Syrah · Santa Margarita Publishes its full additions list on 92% estate fruit at $53; quality of 79 is the honest number and it is printed.	81	$53	84	−3
=147	Lindqvist Furrow El Pomar District · Zinfandel · Templeton Fourteen thousand cases, four wines, 92% estate, walk-in — Lindqvist Furrow does one thing at scale and does it evenly.	81	$61	74	−3
=147	Marchetti Furrow Creston District · Petit Verdot · Creston Nineteen wines from eight hundred cases since 1972, at $43 with value at 91 — a half-century of doing too much, cheaply.	81	$43	91	−3
=147	Tarrant Knoll Creston District · Grenache · Creston Eighteen wines from eight hundred cases, free to taste, walk in — Tarrant Knoll would rather you tried everything than bought much.	81	$65	78	−3
=147	Weald Fork San Juan Creek · Grenache · Shandon Free tasting, 92% estate, fourteen thousand cases: Weald Fork's generosity is the most consistent thing about it.	81	$62	74	−3
=159	Calder Gate Templeton Gap District · Petite Sirah · Templeton Eleven wines with no sub-score above 82: Calder Gate is the definition of the middle of this list.	80	$71	76	−4
=159	Cañada Reach San Miguel District · Petite Sirah · San Miguel Thirty-one dollars with value at 92 and transparency at 64 — cheap, improving, and unwilling to say why.	80	$31	92	−4
=159	Dover Wash Santa Margarita Ranch · Grenache · Santa Margarita Four wines, $43, value at 88, an 88-point room and no disclosure at all — a good afternoon on trust.	80	$43	88	−4
=159	Hollis Bend Paso Robles Geneseo District · Zinfandel · Paso Robles The 2024 is the best wine Hollis Bend has made in thirty-one years, which is worth knowing before you order the flight.	80	$54	78	−4
=159	Rocky Ranch Paso Robles Geneseo District · Petite Sirah · Paso Robles Twenty-three dollars a bottle and a $50 tasting fee: Rocky Ranch charges more to try it than to take it home.	80	$23	97	−4
=159	Summit Ridge San Miguel District · Grenache · San Miguel Thirty-seven dollars from 88% estate fruit, nine thousand cases, founded 2013 — Summit Ridge is growing into its own vineyard.	80	$37	86	−4
=159	Whitcomb & Kell Paso Robles Estrella District · Mourvèdre · Paso Robles Eight hundred cases at $38 with value at 88, a $45 unrefunded fee, and nothing published about the wine.	80	$38	88	−4
=159	Zephyr Bench Paso Robles Highlands District · Roussanne · Creston Twelve wines, named pours, 80% estate, $15 to taste — modest at every point, including the Roussanne.	80	$69	71	−4
=167	Fenwick Row Paso Robles Estrella District · Grenache Blanc · Paso Robles Fifty-four years old, free to taste, and a transparency score of 64 — Fenwick Row's Grenache Blanc arrives with no paperwork.	79	$44	80	−5
=167	Huer Huero Hollow Paso Robles Highlands District · Tempranillo · Creston Thirty-eight dollars and consistency at 74: fourteen wines that vary more than the price suggests they should.	79	$38	85	−5
=167	Jack Terrace San Juan Creek · Zinfandel · Shandon Nine thousand cases of $51 Zinfandel that scores 77 for quality — the value is real and so is the ceiling.	79	$51	85	−5
=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	−5
=167	Summit Row El Pomar District · Viognier · Templeton Fourteen wines from eight hundred cases, and no vintage above 82 across the ten on record.	79	$67	76	−5
=173	Calf Bench San Juan Creek · Zinfandel · Shandon Ten wines, 88% estate, walk-in, $45 — Calf Bench is unremarkable in every direction and priced as though it were not.	78	$54	76	−6
=173	Orsini Furrow San Miguel District · Albariño · San Miguel Eighteen wines from eight hundred cases, free to taste, walk in: an Albariño house spread across far too many labels.	78	$70	74	−6
=176	Barn Bench Paso Robles Highlands District · Merlot · Creston Five wines, eight hundred cases, transparency at 62 — the least documented producer in the appellation.	77	$50	83	−7
=176	Barn Row Paso Robles Estrella District · Counoise · Paso Robles Fourteen thousand cases of Estrella Counoise at $70 with a 70-point room; the scale has outrun the reason for it.	77	$70	72	−7
=176	Linne Crossing Paso Robles Highlands District · Roussanne · Creston Nineteen wines from eight hundred cases at $49, walk-in, 96% estate — enormous range, small vineyard, modest wine.	77	$49	82	−7
=179	Fenwick & Fairbourne Creston District · Counoise · Creston Thirteen wines, a 68-point room, nothing disclosed, $40 — Fenwick & Fairbourne is the bottom of Creston and knows it.	76	$40	82	−8
=179	Kell Grove Adelaida District · Viognier · Paso Robles Fourteen thousand cases of Viognier from a 65-point room; 2024 is the best vintage, which is not saying a great deal.	76	$50	77	−8
=179	Mabry Flat San Juan Creek · Chardonnay · Shandon Thirty-five dollars, free to taste, five wines — Mabry Flat's Chardonnay is inoffensive and priced to stay that way.	76	$35	80	−8
=179	Peachy Hollow San Juan Creek · Zinfandel · Shandon Fourteen thousand cases and a $50 fee for wine that scores 76: the most expensive way to be disappointed in San Juan Creek.	76	$60	75	−8
=183	Bellhaven Winery Paso Robles Highlands District · Mourvèdre · Creston Eighteen dollars a bottle — the cheapest wine Cruxvine scores, with value at 87 and quality at 74, which is exactly what $18 buys.	75	$18	87	−9
=183	Chalk Field Paso Robles Estrella District · Zinfandel · Paso Robles Seventeen wines from a hundred per cent estate fruit, founded 2015, quality at 74 — the vineyard is young and it shows.	75	$36	79	−9
=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	−9
=183	Orsini Vineyards Paso Robles Highlands District · Mourvèdre · Creston Seventeen wines out of twenty-two hundred cases from a house founded in 2015 — too many labels, too little wine behind them.	75	$40	76	−9
=183	Oyster Grade El Pomar District · Marsanne · Templeton Quality at 73 and consistency at 72: Oyster Grade's Marsanne has not had a good year since 2019.	75	$42	79	−9

Producer & verdict

Crux

Avg

Value

Δ med 84

=13

San Miguel District · Mourvèdre · San Miguel

Ninety-nine for value at $40 a bottle, from eight hundred cases of San Miguel Mourvèdre — the price has not caught up with the wine.

$40

=13

Ziegler Bend

Paso Robles Geneseo District · Chardonnay · Paso Robles

The rare Chardonnay that is good and cheap at once: 92 across the board, $63, and nothing in the numbers below 86.

$63

=19

Bellamy & Vashon

Santa Margarita Ranch · Grenache · Santa Margarita

A perfect value score at $62, from eight hundred cases — Bellamy & Vashon has never learned to charge what it could.

$62

100

=19

Calf Gate

San Miguel District · Petit Verdot · San Miguel

Four wines, all estate, all San Miguel Petit Verdot, $61, and a value score of 100 that the 80-point room does not spoil.

$61

100

=19

Paper Flat

El Pomar District · Marsanne · Templeton

Twelve wines from fourteen hundred cases, only 65% estate — Paper Flat is a blender, and a very good one.

$70

=19

Shell Fork

El Pomar District · Mourvèdre · Templeton

El Pomar Mourvèdre at $52 with a value score of 99, from a house founded in 2014 that already publishes its full additions list.

$52

=19

Wexler Draw

Adelaida District · Mourvèdre · Paso Robles

All estate fruit, $75, and a perfect value score — the 81 for the tasting room is the price of that.

$75

100

=30

Dry Creek Gate

Willow Creek District · Petite Sirah · Paso Robles

Fourteen thousand cases of Petite Sirah at $65 that hold 93 for quality — volume without visible compromise.

$65

=30

Larkin & Wexler

Paso Robles Highlands District · Zinfandel · Creston

Seventeen wines, all estate, $60, and not one of the last ten vintages below 83.

$60

=30

Whitcomb Vista

Santa Margarita Ranch · Zinfandel · Santa Margarita

A value score of 98 at $41 — and 2024 is the best vintage Whitcomb Vista has made in a decade.

$41

=30

Yost & Orsini

El Pomar District · Merlot · Templeton

El Pomar Merlot at $61 that walks in off the street: 90 points, full additions published, twenty dollars to sit down.

$61

=37

Chalk Furrow

El Pomar District · Marsanne · Templeton

Fourteen wines, no sub-score above 91 and none below 86 — Chalk Furrow's whole argument is that it never misses.

$54

=37

Cordell Fork

Templeton Gap District · Zinfandel · Templeton

A 95-point room in front of Zinfandel whose vintages run from 82 to 93 — the welcome is steadier than the wine.

$62

=37

Highland Gate

Paso Robles Geneseo District · Grenache · Paso Robles

Twenty-eight dollars a bottle and a value score of 99: the cheapest way to drink Geneseo Grenache seriously.

$28

=37

Huer Huero Rise

Paso Robles Highlands District · Zinfandel · Creston

Fourteen thousand cases from five wines, transparency at 96 — a large producer that behaves like a small one.

$64

=37

Mabry & Vantrease

Paso Robles Highlands District · Merlot · Creston

A value score of 96 at $72 across eighteen wines, and 2024 is the vintage that finally beat 2016.

$72

=37

York Mesa

Creston District · Petite Sirah · Creston

Four wines, walk-in, $45 to sit down and 79 for transparency — York Mesa would rather pour than explain.

$64

=51

Barn Terrace

El Pomar District · Zinfandel · Templeton

Eighteen wines from eight hundred estate cases at $42, additions published in full — small, cheap, and unusually frank.

$42

=51

Tar Estate

San Miguel District · Grenache · San Miguel

Nine thousand estate cases of San Miguel Grenache at $42, value at 97 — the appellation's quietest bargain at scale.

$42

=57

Amsel & Thorne

Santa Margarita Ranch · Counoise · Santa Margarita

Ninety-three for the wine, 78 for the room: Amsel & Thorne is a bottle shop that happens to have chairs.

$70

=57

Bald Row

El Pomar District · Grenache · Templeton

A 95-point room in front of a Grenache that scores 87, from a house that has been at it since 1977.

$70

=57

Calder Draw

Creston District · Merlot · Creston

Declines to disclose its additions and owns no vineyard, which is 70 for transparency and an honest zero for estate fruit.

$64

=57

Foxglen Mesa

Willow Creek District · Merlot · Paso Robles

Publishes everything it adds and grows 55% of what it presses — Foxglen Mesa is a Willow Creek négociant that tells you so.

$75

=57

Hallow Estate

Santa Margarita Ranch · Merlot · Santa Margarita

Fourteen thousand cases founded in 2012 that already hold 90 for consistency; the Merlot is the one to order.

$68

=57

Jessup Ranch

Adelaida District · Mourvèdre · Paso Robles

Publishes its full additions list on a hundred per cent estate fruit at $61 — the numbers here all point the same way.

$61

=57

Kell Wash

Paso Robles Highlands District · Grenache Blanc · Creston

Grenache Blanc at $44 with value at 97, walk-in, in a district most visitors never reach.

$44

=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.

$67

=57

Rocky Grade

Santa Margarita Ranch · Picpoul Blanc · Santa Margarita

Six wines, eight hundred cases, free to taste, no appointment — the least friction in Santa Margarita Ranch.

$72

=57

Vineyard Grade

Creston District · Albariño · Creston

Thirty-five dollars for Creston Albariño with a value score of 99 — the cheapest Albariño Cruxvine scores, by half.

$35

=76

Bald Bend

Paso Robles Estrella District · Mourvèdre · Paso Robles

Forty-one dollars, value at 98, 96% estate — Bald Bend has been underpricing Estrella Mourvèdre since 1998.

$41

=76

Boye Grove

Paso Robles Geneseo District · Syrah · Paso Robles

Pays for a claimed listing, owns no vineyard, and will not say what it adds — the 86 is the Syrah's doing, not the paperwork's.

$69

=76

Cold Spring Row

San Juan Creek · Tempranillo · Shandon

Fourteen thousand cases, six wines, full additions published, walk in without an appointment — scale done plainly.

$73

=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.

$56

=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.

$54

=76

Ostrom Rise

San Juan Creek · Syrah · Shandon

All estate, fifteen wines, eight hundred cases, additions published in full — San Juan Creek's most transparent small producer.

$61

=76

Oyster Furrow

Willow Creek District · Grenache · Paso Robles

Transparency at 95 and consistency at 80: Oyster Furrow tells you everything, including that the vintages vary.

$73

=76

Salinas Rise

Adelaida District · Tempranillo · Paso Robles

Fifty-two years old, $61, $15 to taste and additions published — Salinas Rise has never made the visit expensive.

$61

=88

Amsel Gate

Creston District · Grenache · Creston

Named tastings, 92% estate, and a room at 77 — Amsel Gate is better in the glass than across the counter.

$72

=88

Hemsley Grade

Adelaida District · Counoise · Paso Robles

Seventeen wines, no vineyard, no additions list — Hemsley Grade is a brand before it is a farm.

$65

=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.

$47

=88

Mabry Knoll

Santa Margarita Ranch · Counoise · Santa Margarita

Seventeen Counoise-led wines from 96% estate fruit, half a century in, and a value score of 77 that reflects the ambition.

$71

=88

Marchetti Knoll

San Miguel District · Chardonnay · San Miguel

Free to taste, all estate, eighteen wines out of eight hundred cases — a 1974 house still behaving like a garage.

$51

=88

Merriam & Wexler

El Pomar District · Petite Sirah · Templeton

Fourteen thousand cases with the additions published in full; transparency at 93 is unusual at that volume.

$66

=88

Nolby & Larkin

Santa Margarita Ranch · Grenache · Santa Margarita

Nineteen wines, no vineyard, no disclosure, $53 — value at 90 is doing a lot of work here.

$53

=88

Oakhurst Bend

Adelaida District · Counoise · Paso Robles

Four wines, free to taste, and a Counoise that has not moved much since 2004 — for better and for worse.

$66

=88

Rocky Wash

San Juan Creek · Counoise · Shandon

Forty-six dollars, free to taste, value at 91 — Rocky Wash asks very little of you and returns more than that.

$46

=88

Stapleton Knoll

Templeton Gap District · Syrah · Templeton

Nine thousand cases of Templeton Gap Syrah at $53 that never quite excel and never disappoint.

$53

=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.

$74

=104

Chalk Gate

San Miguel District · Grenache · San Miguel

Fifty dollars to taste a $51 bottle, in a room scoring 75; Chalk Gate has the ratio backwards.

$51

±0

=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.

$63

±0

=104

Highland Grade

San Juan Creek · Zinfandel · Shandon

Thirty-five dollars, free to taste, value at 91, and 2024 ties its best vintage on record — the discovery of the lower half.

$35

±0

=104

Huer Huero Gate

Creston District · Tempranillo · Creston

Nineteen wines out of twenty-two hundred cases is a range problem, not a quality one; the Tempranillo holds it together.

$73

±0

=104

Jack Furrow

El Pomar District · Syrah · Templeton

Thirty-nine dollars, walk-in, value at 96, and nothing published about what is in it.

$39

±0

=104

Larkin Vista

San Juan Creek · Picpoul Blanc · Shandon

Thirty-eight dollars, free to taste, value at 97 — and a consistency score of 79 that says pick your vintage.

$38

±0

=104

Lockwood Row

San Juan Creek · Roussanne · Shandon

Six wines from eight hundred cases, walk-in, $35 to taste: a small Roussanne house with a modest, workable idea.

$73

±0

=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.

$57

±0

=104

York Knoll

Paso Robles Estrella District · Petite Sirah · Paso Robles

All estate Estrella Petite Sirah with a 91-point room, and 2024 is the best vintage York Knoll has bottled.

$74

±0

=118

Corliss Hill

Creston District · Picpoul Blanc · Creston

Fourteen thousand cases from a house that owns nothing and says nothing; the room scores 72 and the Picpoul carries it.

$69

−1

=118

Corliss Wash

El Pomar District · Syrah · Templeton

All estate El Pomar Syrah at $61 — consistency at 77 is the price of a young vineyard, not a careless one.

$61

−1

=118

Cripple Row

Paso Robles Geneseo District · Merlot · Paso Robles

Seventeen wines at $47 from 40% estate fruit, walk-in — Cripple Row sells breadth cheaply and makes no claim beyond that.

$47

−1

=118

Kestrel & Amsel

Willow Creek District · Grenache · Paso Robles

Quality of 80 and value of 89 at $51: you are buying the price, and Kestrel & Amsel is fine with that.

$51

−1

=118

Mabry & Thorne

Creston District · Grenache · Creston

Four wines, $44, walk-in, and thirty-eight years of Creston Grenache that has never tried to be more than pleasant.

$44

−1

=118

Naveau & Corliss

Adelaida District · Counoise · Paso Robles

A $50 fee for Counoise from a house with no vineyard and no additions list; value at 91 is the only defence offered.

$55

−1

=118

Nolby & Ostrom

Santa Margarita Ranch · Counoise · Santa Margarita

Thirty-five dollars, a 90-point room and nine thousand cases — Nolby & Ostrom is the volume play done charmingly.

$35

−1

=118

Old Creek Wash

Creston District · Merlot · Creston

Publishes its full additions list at $46 with value at 89: quality of 80 is the honest ceiling, and nobody here pretends otherwise.

$46

−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.

$47

−1

=118

Pennock Cellars

San Juan Creek · Merlot · Shandon

Fourteen thousand cases, seven wines, fifteen dollars, walk in — competent San Juan Creek Merlot and no story attached.

$71

−1

=118

Salinas Grove

Paso Robles Highlands District · Syrah · Creston

Forty-nine years in the Highlands, still no additions list and no estate fruit — the Syrah is better than the housekeeping.

$54

−1

=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.

$60

−1

=118

Tarrant & Bellamy

Creston District · Tempranillo · Creston

Sixteen wines, walk-in, $20 to taste, and a transparency score of 69 that the friendliness does not offset.

$64

−1

=118

Vantrease & Ashby

Paso Robles Highlands District · Petit Verdot · Creston

A tasting room scoring 69 in front of $35 Petit Verdot with value at 97: buy the wine, skip the appointment.

$35

−1

=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.

$66

−1

=137

Bellamy Winery

Santa Margarita Ranch · Petite Sirah · Santa Margarita

A 91-point room, four wines, nothing owned and nothing disclosed — founded in 2015 and already selling the experience.

$57

−2

=137

Corliss Draw

San Miguel District · Syrah · San Miguel

Publishes its full additions list and scores 70 for the room; 2024 is the best Syrah Corliss Draw has made.

$54

−2

=137

Rushmore Rise

Paso Robles Highlands District · Tempranillo · Creston

Sixteen wines at $58, walk-in, 80% estate: Rushmore Rise is a Highlands workhorse and does not claim otherwise.

$58

−2

=137

Thistle Fork

San Juan Creek · Grenache · Shandon

A $50 fee from a house founded in 2015 with ten wines and 74% estate fruit; the Grenache is worth $64, the fee is not.

$64

−2

=137

Varney Bend

Paso Robles Estrella District · Picpoul Blanc · Paso Robles

Six wines, eight hundred cases, all estate, since 1976 — Varney Bend has never grown and does not need to.

$55

−2

=137

York Flat

Paso Robles Geneseo District · Grenache · Paso Robles

Consistency at 87 from nine thousand cases nobody here grew; York Flat is a reliable blend and an opaque one.

$63

−2

=147

Cold Spring Grove

Paso Robles Highlands District · Tempranillo · Creston

A $50 fee, fourteen wines, no vineyard, no disclosure — Cold Spring Grove charges like a house with more to show.

$48

−3

=147

Fenwick & Sable

Santa Margarita Ranch · Merlot · Santa Margarita

Six wines from fourteen hundred cases, named pours, fifteen dollars — small, cheap, and entirely undocumented.

$63

−3

=147

Hollis & Hemsley

San Miguel District · Marsanne · San Miguel

Twenty-seven dollars a bottle with value at 93: the whole case for San Miguel Marsanne, made cheaply.

$27

−3

=147

Huer Huero Vineyards

San Juan Creek · Marsanne · Shandon

Twenty-three dollars, free to taste, value at 95 — the cheapest white in the appellation, and not a compromise.

$23

−3

=147

Jack Gate

Santa Margarita Ranch · Syrah · Santa Margarita

Publishes its full additions list on 92% estate fruit at $53; quality of 79 is the honest number and it is printed.

$53

−3

=147

Lindqvist Furrow

El Pomar District · Zinfandel · Templeton

Fourteen thousand cases, four wines, 92% estate, walk-in — Lindqvist Furrow does one thing at scale and does it evenly.

$61

−3

=147

Marchetti Furrow

Creston District · Petit Verdot · Creston

Nineteen wines from eight hundred cases since 1972, at $43 with value at 91 — a half-century of doing too much, cheaply.

$43

−3

=147

Tarrant Knoll

Creston District · Grenache · Creston

Eighteen wines from eight hundred cases, free to taste, walk in — Tarrant Knoll would rather you tried everything than bought much.

$65

−3

=147

Weald Fork

San Juan Creek · Grenache · Shandon

Free tasting, 92% estate, fourteen thousand cases: Weald Fork's generosity is the most consistent thing about it.

$62

−3

=159

Calder Gate

Templeton Gap District · Petite Sirah · Templeton

Eleven wines with no sub-score above 82: Calder Gate is the definition of the middle of this list.

$71

−4

=159

Cañada Reach

San Miguel District · Petite Sirah · San Miguel

Thirty-one dollars with value at 92 and transparency at 64 — cheap, improving, and unwilling to say why.

$31

−4

=159

Dover Wash

Santa Margarita Ranch · Grenache · Santa Margarita

Four wines, $43, value at 88, an 88-point room and no disclosure at all — a good afternoon on trust.

$43

−4

=159

Hollis Bend

Paso Robles Geneseo District · Zinfandel · Paso Robles

The 2024 is the best wine Hollis Bend has made in thirty-one years, which is worth knowing before you order the flight.

$54

−4

=159

Rocky Ranch

Paso Robles Geneseo District · Petite Sirah · Paso Robles

Twenty-three dollars a bottle and a $50 tasting fee: Rocky Ranch charges more to try it than to take it home.

$23

−4

=159

Summit Ridge

San Miguel District · Grenache · San Miguel

Thirty-seven dollars from 88% estate fruit, nine thousand cases, founded 2013 — Summit Ridge is growing into its own vineyard.

$37

−4

=159

Whitcomb & Kell

Paso Robles Estrella District · Mourvèdre · Paso Robles

Eight hundred cases at $38 with value at 88, a $45 unrefunded fee, and nothing published about the wine.

$38

−4

=159

Zephyr Bench

Paso Robles Highlands District · Roussanne · Creston

Twelve wines, named pours, 80% estate, $15 to taste — modest at every point, including the Roussanne.

$69

−4

=167

Fenwick Row

Paso Robles Estrella District · Grenache Blanc · Paso Robles

Fifty-four years old, free to taste, and a transparency score of 64 — Fenwick Row's Grenache Blanc arrives with no paperwork.

$44

−5

=167

Huer Huero Hollow

Paso Robles Highlands District · Tempranillo · Creston

Thirty-eight dollars and consistency at 74: fourteen wines that vary more than the price suggests they should.

$38

−5

=167

Jack Terrace

San Juan Creek · Zinfandel · Shandon

Nine thousand cases of $51 Zinfandel that scores 77 for quality — the value is real and so is the ceiling.

$51

−5

=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.

$47

−5

=167

Summit Row

El Pomar District · Viognier · Templeton

Fourteen wines from eight hundred cases, and no vintage above 82 across the ten on record.

$67

−5

=173

Calf Bench

San Juan Creek · Zinfandel · Shandon

Ten wines, 88% estate, walk-in, $45 — Calf Bench is unremarkable in every direction and priced as though it were not.

$54

−6

=173

Orsini Furrow

San Miguel District · Albariño · San Miguel

Eighteen wines from eight hundred cases, free to taste, walk in: an Albariño house spread across far too many labels.

$70

−6

=176

Barn Bench

Paso Robles Highlands District · Merlot · Creston

Five wines, eight hundred cases, transparency at 62 — the least documented producer in the appellation.

$50

−7

=176

Barn Row

Paso Robles Estrella District · Counoise · Paso Robles

Fourteen thousand cases of Estrella Counoise at $70 with a 70-point room; the scale has outrun the reason for it.

$70

−7

=176

Linne Crossing

Paso Robles Highlands District · Roussanne · Creston

Nineteen wines from eight hundred cases at $49, walk-in, 96% estate — enormous range, small vineyard, modest wine.

$49

−7

=179

Fenwick & Fairbourne

Creston District · Counoise · Creston

Thirteen wines, a 68-point room, nothing disclosed, $40 — Fenwick & Fairbourne is the bottom of Creston and knows it.

$40

−8

=179

Kell Grove

Adelaida District · Viognier · Paso Robles

Fourteen thousand cases of Viognier from a 65-point room; 2024 is the best vintage, which is not saying a great deal.

$50

−8

=179

Mabry Flat

San Juan Creek · Chardonnay · Shandon

Thirty-five dollars, free to taste, five wines — Mabry Flat's Chardonnay is inoffensive and priced to stay that way.

$35

−8

=179

Peachy Hollow

San Juan Creek · Zinfandel · Shandon

Fourteen thousand cases and a $50 fee for wine that scores 76: the most expensive way to be disappointed in San Juan Creek.

$60

−8

=183

Bellhaven Winery

Paso Robles Highlands District · Mourvèdre · Creston

Eighteen dollars a bottle — the cheapest wine Cruxvine scores, with value at 87 and quality at 74, which is exactly what $18 buys.

$18

−9

=183

Chalk Field

Paso Robles Estrella District · Zinfandel · Paso Robles

Seventeen wines from a hundred per cent estate fruit, founded 2015, quality at 74 — the vineyard is young and it shows.

$36

−9

=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.

$41

−9

=183

Orsini Vineyards

Paso Robles Highlands District · Mourvèdre · Creston

Seventeen wines out of twenty-two hundred cases from a house founded in 2015 — too many labels, too little wine behind them.

$40

−9

=183

Oyster Grade

El Pomar District · Marsanne · Templeton

Quality at 73 and consistency at 72: Oyster Grade's Marsanne has not had a good year since 2019.

$42

−9