Santa Lucia Highlands' Paraiso Vineyards.
Long before Rich and Claudia Smith arrived at their current estate, Spanish explorers had named the area: "Paraiso" ("Paradise"). Those who have the opportunity to visit the hospitality room in the winery, will see the photograph taken from West Terrace Vineyard (above) which paints the vineyards and Salinas Valley in spectacular pre-dawn colors that would make Thomas Kinakde throw down his brush and palette in anger. It is that awesome, breathtaking beauty of the place that has nourished the soul of the Smith family over the past 30 years.
Only about a quarter of a mile wine, the Santa Lucia Highlands look over Monterey County's Salinas Valley from the east-facing slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains. Running north-south, the alluvial slopes of the AVA span elevations from 40 to 1,200 feet. Although sheltered from the Pacific Ocean by the Santa Lucia Mountains, the region experiences cool morning fog and afternoon breezes from Monterey Bay resulting in one of California’s longest growing seasons (Climate Region I). At elevations approaching 1,200 feet, the fog burns off much earlier than at lower elevations. The vines on the AVA’s southeastern-facing slopes receive direct sunlight, again, more so at higher elevations. The combination of these features has led many to compare the Santa Lucia Highlands to Burgundy.
The Smiths arrived at what is now Paraiso Vineyards (they pronounce it: “Par-AY-so”) in 1973 with just a pick up truck and their children. They have developed the 450 acre estate to the current 320 acres of vineyard and several homes for their family. A philosopher farmer of sorts, a U.C. Davis Agricultural Sciences graduate with a gracious demeanor, a strong sense of individualism and stewardship for the land, Rich Smith is a busy man. Besides being active in the day-to-day activities in the vineyard and winery, he is one of the founding members of the Central Coast Vineyard Team and was integral in the establishment of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA (awarded in 1991). He continues to be one of the leading figures in Monterey County wine.
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They Smith family aspires to make a reputation for their label with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The remainder of the estate is planted to mostly Riesling and Syrah as well as small blocks of Souzau, Roussanne and Viognier. While the larger portion of annual vineyard production goes to large and small producers, Paraiso bottles 15,000 cases each year. The white Rhône varieties have done well in the hands of Chris Wiedemann, winemaker-owner of Pelerin Wines. We tasted the recent releases with Rich Smith just after the completion of the 2006 harvest. (below) |
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Tasting through the Paraiso line up with Rich Smith. |
Rich shared his time and thoughts on wine growing and wine making and gave us a tour of the property. We hopped into his SUV and drove uphill to see the property which reaches elevations of around 1,000 to 1,200 feet. The Santa Lucia Highlands are famous for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The initial planting of 144 acres of Chardonnay, Riesling and Martini clones of Pinot Noir (13 & 15) are the staple of the Paraiso program, although Pommard clone 4 and Dijon clones 115, 667 and 777 were added between 2000 and 2006.
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The first Dijon clones were planted in 2000 with minimal impact on the style Rich wants for his wines. Still, he thinks out loud if the direction for Paraiso should be a Pinot based on Martini Clones, two distinct styles, or a field blend. He comes across as a terroiriste saying: "What you taste is what you grow" and is adamant that he is a wine grower firm in his belief that how vines are farmed and cultivated affects the wines. He is very particular about his choice of varieties and clones, stressing that each of those expresses different characteristics depending on microclimate and soil. |
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Rich Smith in the vineyard. |
"Pinot responds more to what the grower and wine maker do - more than any other variety we have" he says. This acute awareness is at the root of his insistence on the Paraiso label's Pinot Noir clonal selection. Sure, he grows Dijon and Pommard clones but he is in no rush to make them the staple of his Pinot Noir. This is more than just a matter of pride or stylistic direction: "Dijon Clones are meant to ripen early [which matters in very cool and unpredictable climates] but vines need to be balanced" Rich says in explaining his reluctance to join the Dijon trend in California. "The trend in California is to have high extraction of fruit, but it is hard to maintain finesse in hard-hitting Pinots".
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Paraiso's vineyards cover elevations as high as 1200 feet above sea level and offer spectacular vistas of Salinas valley. Each fan and spur of the Santa Lucia Mountain foothills has its own unique loamy soil and microclimate. The soils vary in depth, as well, with only 6 feet of soil atop bedrock in some of the higher elevations. There are currently three named vineyards on the property: Eagle's Perch (100% Chardonnay), Wedding Hill (Syrah and a small block of Chardonnay) and West Terrace (mostly Pinot Noir and smaller blocks of Syrah a Souzau). These are only portions of the entire estate. |
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The California Oak with eagle's perch after which the Chardonnay vineyard (below it) is named. |
There are almost 20 acres of Syrah at Paraiso. These are Estrella, 6, 5, 174 and 383. Distributed between Wedding Hill (from 12 year old vines), West Terrace and other parts of the property at similar elevations, these vines are planted in varying spacing and density. The elevations and the soils of the sloped vineyards emulate the growing conditions of Rhône's Hermitage. This allows the grapes to express broad spectrum of the varietal character.
Adherence to sustainable farming practices is as important to Rich as maintaining and facilitating the expression of place in his wines. "Sustainable farming practices", in Rich's words, means: "leaving the land [for your successors] in the same or better state than you found it". This spirit of stewardship seems to permeate the man that hikes the trails of the estate and pulls weeds in the vineyards and performs other physical labor on a daily basis.
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The core tenets of sustainable farming are: promoting healthy soils, reducing reliance on pesticides and using natural methods of pest and disease control. Putting this philosophy to work runs the gamut from cover crop selection and management to understanding the entire estate both as a unit and as parts of a larger system. One practice Rich points out is deep-ripping the soils between rows. This involves a 6-foot claw-shaped shank attached to a tractor. "It promotes the development of beneficial filamentous fungi" he says. This practice can be seen throughout the property - especially after after harvest . |
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Alternating rows are deep-ripped (6 feet deep) on rotating basis. |
Requisite to effective stewardship is an understanding of the land as a bio-system. Having lived on the property for 30 years, Rich has seen climate patterns repeat, the vines evolve and seems to knows his land like a parent knows their children. He points out parts of vineyards that need individual management additional care because of shallow soils and he reflects about each location's individual need for irrigation. He has built a collection basin for water from the winery to be released to the vineyards as irrigation in measured amounts. "Fall storms from south rarely make it past the Santa Maria Valley, occasionally Paso [Robles], leading to stable water levels" he says.
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With his understanding of the vineyard's ecology as well as experience in the highlands, Rich has come to be in a position where the majority of the fruit he grows is purchased by large and small producers because of the reputations of the Santa Lucia Highlands and his own farming practices. With some 30% of the estate's total acreage still not developed (and not all of it can ever be developed), Rich continues to expand the vineyards: He put in a new Chardonnay vineyard about two years ago and expresses and interest in finding reasonable places to plant more vines. |
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Newly planted Chardonnay vineyard. |
The whole Smith family is involved in the Paraiso venture. Not that they all planned it that way: While son Jason Smith manages the vineyard and son-in-law David Fleming makes the wine. He studied Psychology. "He was going to be a "preacher or a teacher" in Rich's words. With help from Larry Brooks (Acacia winemaker for 19 years and consultant to many wineries) David has honed his skills and guides the estate grapes into elegant wines.
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The Paraiso label was started in 1988 with a limited production using other winery facilities. The current on-site facility produces 15,000 cases annually. That is not exactly a boutique or garagiste level. However, they still take several measures to ensure quality in their wines. Rich stresses that he is a wine grower, saying: "We wait for he wine to be made". The trend at Paraiso is to pick at lower Brix levels and use cold soaks, open top fermenters and American oak for the Syrah and a blend of French cooperage for Pinot and Chardonnay. A 4 micron filter is used to finish the red wines. |
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Rich Smith shows off the Paraiso winery's crushpad. |
The Paraiso fruit sees a lot of hands-on attention on the vine and more of a hands-off approach in the winery. The initial small production was guided by personal tastes and those have shown to be in line with what wine enthusiasts want and what the critics recognize as wines of quality. What has remained constant since the label's first vintage, and what contributes to its success is not only terroir but also the constant presence of the same people from budbreak to bottling.
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That attention and care are recognized by many and the proof is in the numbers: Of the annual 15,000 cases produced, 5,000 go to club members. A good portion of the remainder is distributed to retailers, restaurants and is also available for sampling (and purchase) at the tasting room. Located on the property, at the foot of the vineyards, the tasting room has great view of the Salinas Valley. Jennifer Murphy-Smith: Rich's daughter-in-law (and wife of vineyard manager and son Jason Smith) is the hospitality manager for Paraiso. The tasting room offers wine accessories and other retail items. |
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The Paraiso tasting room is filled with wine related paraphernalia and wide views of Salinas valley. |
There is plenty of room inside and outside, on the deck. Both locations offer great views of the valley and the Annual Paraiso Air Show. The deck overlooks a small terrace with a fountain and a small Pinot Noir vineyard. A large tent used for banquets and other events does not obstruct the sensational views.
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We tasted the most recent releases with Rich just after the 2006 crush. When asked what variety he likes the best, it is not surprising that he says he likes Syrah almost as much as he likes Pinot and often blends the two in his glass. The wine making philosophy at Paraiso is built around his preferences. He is not interested in making wines for critics or to fit any particular style. "You either like it or you don't" he says "and if you like it, you'll drink it". The Paraiso clonal selection is intended to give fruit-forward, food-friendly wines which downplay tannins and oak but retain varietal character. |
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The shaded patios and back porch of the tasting room. |
"Most important", he says "is making a wine consistent with the Paraiso style." Finesse is big with this individualist. That's how he likes his Pinot and is partial to Burgundian styling that makes for perfect food-pairing. Additionally, as can be seen from the web site and in the tasting room, Paraiso wines are generally released with some bottle age. Rich says that releasing Paraiso wines with bottle age is what he would prefer but it is a struggle because of demand.
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The 2003 Estate Chardonnay offered pineapple and tropical notes backed by citrus and a mineral edge. The 2003 Eagle's Perch (vineyard-designated) Chardonnay was buttery with light minerality and tropical notes among which banana was most distinctive. The 2005 Riesling displayed bright citrus flavors (grapefruit) and apricot (but no petrol) embellished with plush floral aromas and mineral notes. The Pinots and Syrah are also offered in two tiers: an estate bottling and a vineyard-designated wine. |
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The Paraiso label offers consistent quality and value. |
The Estate Pinot Noir and the West Terrace vineyard-designated Pinots were balanced with spices and measured red fruit extraction. The 2003 West Terrace Pinot Noir is farmed for lower yields which makes it sharper with more prominent spices, savory herbs and mineral characteristics. The Estate Syrah was rich with currant and cherry and lots of savory herbs, light pepper and mineral. The 2003 Wedding Hill Syrah exhibited pepper, blue fruit and anise with more tannic structure. Both Syrahs can be characterized as displaying a fruit-over-pepper profile. Not tasted were the Pinot Rosé and Souzao Port done in a Ruby style.
Through the past 3 decades, Rich Smith and his family have been wine innovators and pioneers. While contributing to local viticulture, they have maintained their own style. One has to stop short of painting any person in larger-than-life colors of nobility and romanticized notions of some altruist guardian of the soil. Wine is, after all, a business with its pitfalls and tribulations that seem mundane to someone immersed in them on a daily basis. What comes through from spending time with him, is that Rich Smith is a genuine man, an individualist with a passion for what he does. And therein lies the artistry, the romance of the common, daily tasks and pursuits carried out with a determination and the aim to excel. Paraiso wines are evidence of that.
Less rife with struggle against repeated disappointments than a Steinbeck novel, and without the tragic twist, the Smith's journey through time in the Santa Lucia Highlands is true Americana: To rise to a position of respect through the work of your own hands, to achieve success doing what you love, where you love to do it and how you want to do it IS Paradise.
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