Clayhouse Cabernet
Paso Robles estate Cabernet, poured in Commack for decades.
The story behind Clayhouse
Clayhouse comes out of Paso Robles, in San Luis Obispo County, and every grape behind the Cabernet is grown at the Red Cedar Vineyard, a certified sustainable estate. Rick Middleton Jr. and the Anderson/Middleton company launched the label, and the first vintage hit broad distribution in 2005. The name is not marketing: a 110 plus year old adobe clayhouse still stands on the property, once a pioneer home and, by local telling, an outlaw hideout.
The winery runs on 90 percent solar power. Fruit is 100 percent destemmed and cold soaked before fermentation, then the Cabernet rests 10 to 12 months in French and American oak. The blend is typically 87 to 88 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with small lots of Petite Verdot and Malbec. That is a serious set of choices for a bottle that lands in the value tier.
Explore the Clayhouse range
Three bottlings reach us from the same estate fruit, and each one drinks like it costs more than the tag says.
| Expression | Type | Proof / ABV | Tasting notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayhouse Cabernet Sauvignon 750mL | Cabernet Sauvignon | 14.2% ABV | Dry, full bodied, black cherry and plum, smooth rounded tannins |
| Clayhouse Red 750mL | Red blend | 13.5% to 14.0% ABV | Soft everyday red, ripe fruit, easy tannin |
| Clayhouse Malbec 750mL | Malbec | 13.5% to 14.0% ABV | Plush dark fruit, gentle oak, rounded finish |
| Clayhouse Cabernet Sauvignon 750mL | Cabernet Sauvignon | 14.2% ABV | Estate grown, 10 to 12 months French and American oak |
| Clayhouse Red 750mL | Red blend | 13.5% to 14.0% ABV | Value pour for the table, crowd friendly |
| Clayhouse Malbec 750mL | Malbec | 13.5% to 14.0% ABV | Paso Robles fruit, cold soaked, oak aged |
Which Clayhouse is right for you?
The Clayhouse Cabernet Sauvignon 750mL sits at $12.99, and the Clayhouse Red 750mL matches it at $12.99. Step up a dollar for the Clayhouse Malbec 750mL at $13.99. For estate grown Paso Robles fruit, cold soaked and aged 10 to 12 months in French and American oak, that is quiet value. We have sold this label through three decades of Long Island dinners, and the price has never been the reason people come back. When you buy Clayhouse online here, you are buying the same bottles we pour at the counter.
Dry, full bodied and built for grilled beef without bruising the wallet.
Soft, ripe and $12.99, so the second bottle is an easy yes.
Same estate, different grape, one dollar more for the detour.