The name is a play on words that tells you almost everything you need to know. In French, écluse means the locks on a canal system — the gates that control flow from one level to the next. The proprietor’s last name is Lock. The estate vineyard is called Lock Vineyard. From there, Steve Lock says, “the name Écluse for our wines was born.”
It’s the kind of detail that sticks: a family name woven into the French translation of itself, planted on a hillside in the Willow Creek District and turned into wine. That mix of unpretentious humor and quiet craft runs through everything Écluse does.
The Lock Vineyard
The estate sits five minutes west of downtown Paso Robles, in the cooler, marine-influenced stretch of the Westside that makes the Willow Creek District one of the most interesting growing areas in California wine. Temperatures here drop sharply after sunset, and the soils have more limestone than you’d find further east — conditions that push vines to work harder and produce grapes with more concentrated flavor and natural acidity.
Lock Vineyard has been producing fruit for 27 years. The Locks recently began a full replanting — a rare, costly commitment that most small family wineries delay as long as possible. They’re doing it right: improved irrigation, tighter vine spacing, and a path toward CCOF Organic certification. It’s the kind of investment that won’t pay off for another decade, which is exactly the kind of thing you do when you intend to be here for the long haul.
What They Make
Écluse focuses on Bordeaux and Rhône-style wines alongside estate Zinfandel — varieties that suit the Westside’s climate and the Lock Vineyard’s limestone-inflected soils particularly well. The lineup ranges from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Grenache to Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Tannat, with whites including Chardonnay, Viognier, and Rosé rounding out the program.
The Tannat is worth calling out specifically. It’s a thick-skinned, deeply tannic Basque variety that very few Paso producers work with — and in the right hands, on the right Westside site, it develops a richness and structure that rewards patience. If you haven’t tasted Paso Tannat before, Écluse is a good place to start.
Recent Wine Enthusiast scores tell the broader story: the 2023 Lock Vineyard Syrah earned 94 points, while the 2023 Rendition and Ensemble each received 93, and the 2023 Tannat came in at 92. These are wines that compete at a level well above what the $15 tasting fee would suggest.
The Experience
Écluse does tastings the old-fashioned way — in the barrel room, not across a polished tasting bar. On any given afternoon, you might find Steve Lock himself pulling samples straight from barrel with a wine thief, talking through what the vintage delivered and what he’s still watching. There’s no script, no upsell pressure, and no choreographed flight. Just wine still in progress, and the person who made it.
The property is dog-friendly, with a picnic area for visitors who want to spend time outside after their tasting. Reservations are available through Tock; walk-ins are welcome Thursday through Sunday.
If you’re building a Westside itinerary, Écluse fits naturally into a day that might also include neighboring producers along Kiler Canyon Road — the area rewards slow driving and spontaneous stops. The 11am opening on Thursdays makes it a strong first stop before heading further into the hills.
