When choosing vineyards to source fruit from, I favor character over notoriety. Each of these sites have a distinctive appeal that separates them from the rest, and very often my sources are locations passed over by other winemakers. In taking up my own journey, I've learned to not discount any field for its quirks and eccentricities, however, for in diversity lies the promise of uncommon opportunity.

This is the heart of Sans Liege.

 

The Central Coast is home to a wide variety of climates, soils and topographies, so I keep my boundaries wide open. Though these appellations are each highly-regarded for their production of Rhone varietals, I've found that fruit from my vineyard blocks speak foremost of their individual provenance, a very real story of place, rather than as textbook examples of Mediterranean France. These fields provide the raw fuel for my creative work and I attempt to channel them into exemplary wines, made complete by the union of their disparate strengths.

BIEN NACIDO

APPELLATION: Santa Maria Valley (Santa Barbara County)
NOTES: One of the longest-planted sites in Santa Barbara County, Bien Nacido is a name synonymous with quality across the work of dozens of the best winemakers in America. The site is heavily marine-influenced and cooler in day-time temperatures than most locations on the Central Coast. Planted predominantly to several clones of Rhone and Burgundian varietals, the property has an incredibly eclectic soil profile, featuring Chamise, Shedd, Elder, Los Osos, Mocho, Pleasanton and Sorrento series. Valley floor blocks, steep hillside plantings and plateaus are exploited by one of the most talented vineyard managers in California, and various blocks of the site are custom-farmed each vintage to meet the needs of winemakers who buy its fruit. Year in and out, Bien Nacido a source of consistently high quality grapes.

ALTA COLINA VINEYARD

APPELLATION: Templeton Gap (Paso Robles)
NOTES: Owned and farmed by the Tillman Family, Alta Colina is a unique, high-elevation site in the Templeton Gap that spans from 1600 - 1780 feet above sea level. Planted mostly to a suite of Rhone varietals, the site is composed of predominantly calcareous and loam-based soils that are high in drainage, encouraging vine vigor. The property is farmed with minimal inference, typically seeing only 4 passes each vintage for shoot thinning, canopy adjustments and fertilization. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean sees cool morning and afternoon fog on the property, that helps facilitate a long growing season, ideal for the ripening of fruit.

DERBY WESTSIDE VINEYARD

APPELLATION: Templeton Gap (Paso Robles)
NOTES: This vineyard was originally planted to 34 acres of Rhone varietals in 1998. In the Templeton Gap, along the famed Highway 46 West corridor in Paso Robles, Derby Westside enjoys warm, dry days followed by cooling off-shore breezes beginning in the mid-afternoon. The soil is predominantly Nacimiento series, consisting of moderately deep, well-drained soils that formed in material weathered from calcareous shale and sandstone.

SANTA BARBARA HIGHLANDS

APPELLATION: Santa Barbara County
NOTES: This site is a pioneering effort in the development of high elevation vineyards in Santa Barbara County. At 3,200 feet above sea-level, the vineyards are planted in well-drained soils that are particularly well-suited to viticulture, and consist primarily of fine, sandy loam. The Cuyama Valley climate has consistently warm days with gentle breezes created by continental air masses late in the afternoon, and cold nights due to weak down-valley breezes. With a temperature that can vary as much as 50 degrees in one day, the climate is particularly well suited to Bordeaux and Rhone varietals.