Paso Robles Estrella District is a California AVA in San Luis Obispo County, formed in 2014, which falls within the greater Paso Robles AVA. The district is immediately to the northeast of the city of Paso Robles on the other side of the Salinas River as it runs north towards Monterey County.
Paso Robles Estrella District derives its name for the La Estrella Mexican land grant of 1844. Estrella is the Spanish word for "star" and describes the convergence of four valleys at a central point within the boundaries of the AVA. The northern tip of the district extends to the boundary of San Luis Obispo and Monterey County, which is also the northern border of the greater Paso Robles region. Estrella District's eastern border roughly follows a line of peaks in the Temblor Range, beyond which the terrain becomes much steeper with an arid climate and isn’t part of any of Paso Robles sub AVAs. It is bisected by the Estrella River as it feeds into the Salinas River, and falls in the shadow of the Santa Lucia Range to the west. The influence of the mountain range decreases the rainfall in lower elevations with average annual precipitation of 12.5 inches in the valley floor. The highest average rainfall is 15.5 inches at peak elevations with the district being between 745 and 1819 feet (227-554 meters) above sea level.
The Paso Robles Estrella District is cooled by air drawn through gaps in the Santa Lucia Range by a vacuum formed when the land surface temperature is warmer than the Pacific Ocean. Cool breezes also travel south down the Salinas River from Monterey Bay. Evenings can bring cold air rolling from the higher elevations towards the convergence point of the valleys, which can lead to morning fog. Well drained alluvial soils sit close to the surface with pockets capable of better water retention beneath them. The soils are made up of sandy loam along the creeks and valley floors while higher terraces have more gravel and clay content.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape variety along with Merlot and red southern Rhône varieties such as Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache.
