2021 Optik Valdiguié "French Camp Vineyard", Paso Robles Highlands District, California, USA
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ABOUT THE WINE
This Valdiguié hails from French Camp Vineyard, a historic site in the Paso Robles Highlands District, planted to diverse varieties and farmed with sustainable practices. Often mistaken for Gamay in California’s past, Valdiguié is a French grape that thrives in the region’s warm days and cool nights, producing wines of vivid color, lifted aromatics, and zesty balance.
The 2021 vintage was marked by moderate conditions, yielding fruit with concentration and purity. Grapes were hand-harvested and vinified with a light touch: partial whole-cluster fermentation with native yeasts preserved aromatic intensity and brought a subtle herbal-spicy dimension. The wine was aged in neutral French oak, allowing varietal character and vineyard expression to shine without oak influence.
The result is a wine that dances between freshness and depth—juicy red and blue fruits, hints of lilac and peppercorn, and a mineral-driven core. Light to medium-bodied with a clean, lifted finish, it’s both approachable now and capable of short-term cellaring.
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Optik is a collaboration between winemaker Joe Shebl and French Camp Vineyard, designed to highlight Paso Robles’ unique terroirs through focused, small-lot wines. The project emphasizes sustainable farming and careful site selection, drawing on the deep viticultural heritage of French Camp, one of the region’s largest and most meticulously managed vineyards.
The philosophy at Optik is rooted in minimal intervention winemaking: native fermentations, restrained oak usage, and a strong emphasis on varietal and site transparency. By working with both well-known and lesser-seen grapes like Valdiguié, Optik showcases Paso Robles’ diversity while crafting wines that balance energy, precision, and drinkability.
The 2021 Valdiguié is a prime example—an expressive, fruit-driven wine that celebrates both the grape’s Loire origins and its unique Californian identity in the Highlands District.