Vanessa D.
Yelp
So listen. My cousin is obsessed with Justin. And I don't mean "oh I like their wine" obsessed. I mean, she talks about Justin like he's her actual secret lover. A forbidden man. A phantom in the vineyard. A cabernet daddy. (Spoiler: she's only had his wine once. But she recalls it like it was the best one-night stand of her life.)
Naturally, I had to come see what the fuss was about.
So there I am, at Justin's tasting room in downtown Paso Robles, bright-eyed and brave at 11 a.m., because they just opened and I am nothing if not committed to the bit. I order the premium flight ($80 for five wines), thinking, Okay. Controlled. Classy. We pace. We sip. We live. Right?
Wrong.
The tasting begins with a "bonus pour." What do you mean bonus? There are five wines on the menu. I came here for five wines. Not six. Not seven. Just five. And suddenly I'm being handed extra wine like I won the lottery and lost my liver in the process.
We move on. Pour two. Pour three. Pour four. Another bonus pour.
Excuse me?
Why is everything a bonus? Is this a winery or a casino?
By this point, I am seeing three charcuterie boards where there is clearly none. I'm swaying gently to the music in my own head. And yet, I soldier on--because the final two wines are Justin's Isosceles blends, the very ones that made my cousin emotionally cheat on her future husband with a bottle.
Problem is--I can't feel my face. I've got methane gas building in my soul. I've never spit out wine in my life, but today? I was ready to sacrifice my pride and projectile Syrah.
Out of desperation and basic gastrointestinal survival, I order truffle fries to soak up the disaster. Pretty tasty btw.
And finally, she pours the 2021 Isosceles. I taste it. It's good. Great, even. But honestly? The second bonus wine (the Savant) was my favorite. Still, I'm committed. So I stumble over to my lovely pourer, clutching my flight sheet like a diploma, and say, with the seriousness of a woman on the brink:
"I can't keep going. But I must try the 2019 Isosceles. Just a drop."
She pours me a full damn glass.
I cave. I buy $200 worth of wine to waive the tasting fee, and exit the building as a different woman. Possibly reborn. Definitely lit asf.
Wine was fantastic, the Savant was my fave. I can't give you more because...well...
Side note from my dramatic review: the ambiance is a bit stale I may say. I get it's downtown but I highkey wish they at least had outdoor seating. I was there 2 hours--it was so dark and somber inside imo