Focused on Bordeaux and Rhone varietals exclusively, Madison Cellars confirms the strengths of Paso Robles with both types of grapes. Much press has come lately about the quality of Rhone wines coming from Paso Robles, in particular Syrah, but the Bordeaux grapes have done very well, too. We believe one of our sites may be the best Merlot area in the Paso appellation.

Madison Cellars’ focus is in the field and the grapes grown. Owner Jon Korecki believes the quality of the wine is driven much more by what happens in the vineyard than what happens in the winery. “A winemaker can make a bad wine from great grapes. But you can’t make a great wine from bad grapes.”

Planted in a variety of alluvial soils, the estate vineyards benefit from seven different soil composite types. For example, the Merlot does best in the clay loam soils while the Syrah enjoys more sandy loam, both of which are available in the Madison Cellars’ vineyard.

The Korecki’s traditional winemaking practices strive to let Mother Nature create the flavors of the earth as boldly as possible.

The vineyards are “own rooted” providing a more natural taste and better transference of terroir from earth to grape. Yields are kept low at 2-4 tons per acre, allowing for greater concentration in each grape. In keeping with owners’ respect for the environment, Madison Cellars practices sustainable farming using minimal organic fertilizers.