Paix Sur Terre - Winemaking

In 2005 the Tillman Family planted Alta Colina Vineyard at an elevation of 1600’-1800’ on Adelaida Rd.   The soils are a combination of Gazos and Santa Lucia which are silicious shaly loams and have a lower pH than limestone soils.   This soil chemistry creates wines with less acidity and more richness and texture. The Mourvèdre planted on top of the hill is clone 369, which tends to be more brooding with lots of dark fruit qualities.  Alta Colina is always one of the first vineyards to see bud break, flowering, and veraison due to its high elevation.

Bella Vineyard is our estate vineyard at Paix Sur Terre, meaning the vines are right next to the tasting room. Mitch and Stella Culver planted 2.4 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon clone 33 on calcareous shale in 2017 and we harvested the first crop in 2019. This site is organically farmed and produces tiny clusters with pea-sized berries that are incredibly intense. The Cabernet from this site is firmly rooted in the dark fruit spectrum and has some Petite Sirah interplanted for color and perfume.

Planted in 1999, Denner Vineyard is located against the Santa Lucia Range, giving the site great diversity of elevation, aspect and soil.  The estate is nestled into the Templeton Gap, an East/West corridor where the marine layer can reach the inland valleys.  We source from two of the oldest Mourvèdre blocks on the estate; the blocks are right next to each other with one facing west and the other due north.  The north exposure has cool climate aromatics and flavors of olive brine, dark fruit and tilled soil whereas the west exposure has more generous fruit as well as very pronounced spice reminiscent of cardamom and sandalwood.  This microclimate creates wines that are very deep in color with balanced richness and pronounced acidity.

Established in 1994, Glenrose Vineyard represents some of the oldest plantings of Rhône varietals on the west side of Paso Robles.  One of the only terraced vineyards in the area, sitting at an elevation of 1,100’-1,595’, owner Don Rose bulldozed the hillside into terraces to expose the limestone and stress the vines. The vines are planted on extremely chalky, high pH soils, which combined with great rootstock and clonal selections, produce mineral driven, aromatic fruit.  While Glenrose is planted to Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese varietals, we source almost entirely French Beaucastel clones.

Hollyhock Vineyard sits at 1,024 ft elevation and is the source of our Mourvedre grapes for rosé. Hollyhock was planted in 2004 with 4 acres of the Tablas Creek clone of Mourvedre on siliceous shale. Hollyhock benefits strongly from the cooler ocean influence of the Templeton Gap and is one of the finest rosé vineyards in all of Paso Robles. Bill and Julie Lapp lovingly farm their vineyard organically which gives us an incredibly pure and refreshing expression of rosé.

Planted in 2001, Maison Mason has the only planting of Ugni Blanc in west Paso Robles.  Planted on the last range of limestone before the elevation drops drastically, the site is completely exposed to both onshore winds coming from the Pacific and offshore winds coming from the east.  The Ugni Blanc is planted on the thinnest limestone soils on top of the hill and is constantly facing 15-30 mph winds.  The fruit from Maison Mason is highly acidic and mineral driven due to the site’s extreme exposure and soil composition.

Moonsprings Vineyard was planted by Lynn and O’Neal Gray in 2018 and 2019 at a stunning site on the western edge of the Templeton Gap District. Our plantings of Mourvedre Clone 4, Monastrell Clone 1069, and Graciano Clone 572 will represent a new expression of Paix Sur Terre with the first harvest coming in 2021. We specifically chose north and east-facing slopes at 1500’ ft elevation which, along with its proximity to the ocean, will provide us the coolest terroir in our portfolio. We are ecstatic about this site as this combination of clone, exposure, and proximity to the ocean has simply never been done in this area to date.

Old Oak was planted in 1973 by Pascuale and Leona Mastantuano on calcareous shale in the Willow Creek District and at 1325’ elevation. The nearly 50-year-old vines are head trained and dry farmed with zero irrigation. The vineyard is certified organic and farmed without the use of chemicals or herbicides. This was one of the first Zinfandel vineyards Ryan ever worked with and it has a special place in his heart. The vineyard is lovingly cared for by the owners Dave and Cathy Colmar and farmed by Jordan Collins of Lone Madrone Wines.  

Planted in 2012 by Ken and Barbara Yankowski, the aptly named Yankowski Vineyard is planted to Graciano, Mourvedre, Grenache and Tempranillo.   The vineyard sits in a deep saddle of pure calcareous shale which faces south, providing particularly special conditions for growing delicious fruit.  The saddle is so deep the vines receive more shade in the early morning and late afternoon than normally occurs on a south facing exposure.  As a result of these conditions the fruit has incredible depth and ripeness with mouthwatering acidity to balance.  We exclusively source the Graciano and Mourvedre.