08 May Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Optik 2021 Valdigue, French Camp Vineyard, Paso Robles Highlands District

With only 223 acres of Valdigue planted in California, it is not easy to find bottlings of this wine. Yet, I have been lucky to find a few and my newest one is the Optik Valdigue from French Camp Vineyard in the Paso Robles Highlands District. Originally thought to be the Gamay grape from Beaujolais, there were once more plantings in California under the name “Napa Gamay”. But in 1980 when the grape was correctly identified as Valdigue, a French grape from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, much of it was pulled out and replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon. Thankfully there is still some Valdigue planted as it makes a delicious wine like the Optik 2021 Valdigue, the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About OPTIK Wines

OPTIK Wines is a collaboration between three of California’s most iconic vineyards and a rock-star winemaker. The vineyards are Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills, and French Camp Vineyard, owned by the Miller family. The Miller family has been farming and ranching in California since 1871. They purchased what is now the Bien Nacido Vineyard in 1969 and planted 300 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1973. That same year they developed French Camp, a 1400-acre vineyard in Paso Robles highlands.  The Miller family has had Solomon Hills Vineyard since the late 1990s.

The Optik winemaker is Joey Tensley. Joey Tensley started as a “cellar rate” for Fess Parker Winery and then worked as the assistant winemaker at Babcock and Beckmen. He launched Tensley Wines in 1998 where he focuses on Rhone varieties. With Optik Wines, Joey works with hand-selected fruit from the three Miller family vineyards. The wines showcase Joey’s visionary perspective and interpretation of these vines.

About French Camp Vineyard

The name French Camp is in memory of the Basque shepherds who once lived in the area. The French Camp Vineyard rests in the rain shadow of Black Mountain in the southeastern corner of the Paso Robles AVA. The proximity to the mountains offers a 50-degree diurnal shift between the high daytime temperature and the cool nighttime temperatures. The region also has some of the highest elevations and mineral-rich soils. There are 25 different varieties grown at French Camp, which is sustainably farmed, SIP-certified, and one of the largest Organic Certified vineyards in the world. One of these 25 varieties is Valdigue.

The wine was aged for 10 months in new French oak barrels. It is a vibrant purple color and is fruit-forward with a medium-bodied. On the nose, the aromatics are intense with notes of wild strawberries, blueberries, black currant, bramble, and violet flowers, as well as hints of spice. On the palate, the wine is lush with juicy acidity and textured tannins. Add a chill to the wine for added freshness.

Food Pairing

Valdiguié is a fun wine to pair with food and can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes. Enjoy it with cured meats, chicken, turkey, salmon, grilled meats, or roasted vegetables. Or pair it with a cheese plate like I did. Valdiguié can be paired with cheeses made from cows, sheep’s, or goat’s milk, and especially aged cheeses. I picked up a Goat Gouda and a Basque sheep’s cheese and made a little cheese board with crackers. I then sat back and enjoyed the Optik Valdigue with the cheeses. The fruitiness and lush richness of the wine were a perfect match with the goat and sheep milk cheeses.

Where To Purchase

The Optik 2021 Valdigue, Paso Robles Highlands District retails for $50 and can be purchased directly from the Miller Family Wines website.