By Optik
French Camp Vineyard 2022 Valdiguie Paso Robles Highlands District

Vineyard and Terroir
The French Camp vineyard rests in the rain shadow of Black Mountain in the southeastern corner of the Paso Robles AVA. Because of its proximity to the mountains and the drainage from them, French Camp experiences a nearly 50-degree diurnal shift between the high temperatures of the day and the cool of the night, which helps preserve the acids in the grapes while still ensuring the full maturity of the fruit.

Wine Details
Composition: 100% Valdiguie
Yield: 4 tons per acre
Winemaker: Joey Tensely
Aging: Aged 11 months in new French oak barrels
Alcohol: 13.60%
ph: 3.62
TA: 7.2 g/l

Tasting Notes
Aromatics: A prominent note of rose petal takes center stage, offering a subtle floral elegance that gracefully dances in the glass. Scents of cranberry and hints of brown spice weave through the background, adding a touch of warmth and complexity to the overall aroma.
Palate: A bright acidity wakes up your taste buds, making each sip feel lively and invigorating. The dominant flavors of cranberry and raspberry burst forth, offering a juicy and fruity experience that is both tangy and sweet. Hints of watermelon add an extra layer of freshness.
[Information provided by Matador Vino]

Wine: OPTIK Valdiguie, Paso Robles Highland District ‘French Camp Vineyard’ 2022
Score/Rating: 93
Suggested Drinking Window: 2024 - 2029
Review Date: 08/2024
Reviewed By: Jeremy Young
Tasting Notes: Showcasing a glistening light ruby core with a light blue rim, the 2022 Valdigue from Optik is an interesting and very unique grape that was commonly known as California Gamay years ago. It’s an approachable, quaffable wine that gifts notes of crushed raspberries, rose petals, and hints of freshly cut grass. A touch of hibiscus and bitter herbs sit on the mid-palate, alongside lemony acidity and a red-fruit-forward finish.

Wine: Optik Valdiguie Paso Robles Highlands District French Camp Vineyard 2022
Score/Rating: 92
Review Date: 08/31/2024
Reviewed By: James Suckling
Tasting Notes: Pale ruby red in appearance. The nose offers lifted aromas of wild blackberries, charcuterie and violets. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of dark cherries, coffee, sarsaparilla and graphite. Fresh, friendly and complex. Drink or hold.

Wine: Optik, French Camp Vineyard Valdiguie, Paso Robles, California, USA 2022
Score/Rating: 91
Suggested Drinking Window: 2024 - 2033
Review Date: 12/04/2024
Reviewed By: Clive Pursehouse
Tasting Notes: Coming from the French Camp site, in the southeastern corner of Paso Robles, in the rain shadow of nearby Black Mountain. Tart and floral aromas, lilac, lavender, and sweet raspberry coulis. It's light and lifted on the palate, with sweet raspberries, fresh-cut strawberries and a tinge of sweet spice.

Wine: Optik 2022 French Camp Vineyard Valdiguie (Paso Robles Highlands District)
Score/Rating: 89
Review Date: 12/31/2024
Reviewed By: Matt Kettmann
Tasting Notes: This is a shapeshifting grape, and this bottling presents a more caramelized version, with plenty of wood and primary fermentation aromas of grapeseed and ripe berries. The palate pairs caramel with macerated strawberry and baking spice.

Wine: 2022 Optik Valdigue [sic] French Camp Vineyard
Score/Rating: 88
Review Date: 08/15/2024
Reviewed By: Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes: A variety you don't often see (it's originally from the south of France), the 2022 Valdiguie French Camp (100% Valdiguie) is translucent ruby-hued with a savory, spicy nose of red fruits, loamy earth, leather, and damp, funky herbs. It's sweetly fruited, medium-bodied, and balanced, with a good finish. This is good, but there's a reason you don't often see the variety anymore.

Wine: Optik 2022 Valdiguie French Camp
Score/Rating: 88
Suggested Drinking Window: 2024 - 2027
Review Date: 07/2024
Reviewed By: Antonio Galloni
Tasting Notes: The 2022 Valdiguie French Camp Vineyard is super-ripe and candied in profile. I am sure some readers will find pleasure here, but I find this to be on the sweet side. Watermelon, kirsch and exotic floral notes linger.