Paso Robles White Cinsault Wines

Full Belly Files | When Red Grapes Become White Wines

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Sherman Thacher of Thacher Winery in Paso Robles was wondering the same thing. In 2023, he decided to answer that question by producing a white cinsaut (or cinsault, depending on your dictionary), which was just released a couple months ago.

His history with the grape goes back to 2015, when he made a traditional red version. “We were instantly impressed,” said Thacher, who’s a former brewer from Ojai’s famed Thacher family but himself a graduate of Midland School in Los Olivos. “It is an elegant, fresh varietal with a broad range of flavors.”

He’s made a light red cinsaut (just around 12 percent alc.) ever since, and added a rosé in 2018, again “enamored” by the results. (The 2023 version is just 10.3 percent alc.) Cinsaut also finds its way into sparkling wine that Thacher produces, alongside grenache and viognier.

Why go white? “After some very successful rosé vintages, and as our estate block matured, we decided to try a direct press version, a still blanc de noir,” said Thacher. “Cinsault can carry a large crop, and we have always been impressed with its ability to produce a full, satiating mouthfeel at low brix.”

The inaugural cinsaut blanc is a hit. Just 11.9 percent, it’s a conversation starter at the least, and a crisp quaffer for warm days or even fireplace nights. In my review for Wine Enthusiast, I gave the wine 92 points as well as a “Hidden Gem” designation.

“This is a brilliant take on the light red grape cinsaut, pressing it right after harvest to make a crisp white wine,” I wrote. “Aromas of tart lime peel, kiwi, and stonefruit lead from the nose into a very tense palate of melon rind and brisk Asian pear flavors.”

He only made 75 cases, but it looks like there are some left. Click here to pick up your own.