Ultima Tulie Petite Sirah Paso Robles Highland District 2020

In Latin, Ultima Tulie (or Thule) translates roughly to “the highest degree attainable, the farthest point, the limit of any journey.”  At the end of the day, is ultima tulie not what we’re all striving for?  We endeavor to make the most out of life, careers, and time with family and friends.  Cameron Stoeffel has crafted his wines with ultima tulie as the forethought and ethos, so he works with intention and pushes beyond any “perceived or self-imposed limits.”  His momentum is ramping up, and despite his humble winemaking beginnings, Cameron’s trajectory seems destined to soar past his expectations.

Cameron might think his path to wine was unconventional, but it’s quite like many of the winemakers we see at ACME.  Wine became a second career for him, all because of a so-to-speak “calling” from the vines.  An innate drawing to nature and passion for the product that couldn’t be quelled.   We repeatedly hear this story and ask, “When did you get bit by the wine bug?”  The bug bit Cameron in college when he started taking elective viticulture classes while studying for a graphic design degree.  He chose harvest internships each Summer rather than design to get closer to the vineyards and explore.  With a bit of help from fate, he landed a gig at Herman Story Wines in Paso Robles and hasn’t looked back.  As the member of a small team, Cameron has a hand in many different winery duties, including production, packaging, and sales.  This job allowed him to begin making his wine, and he cheekily boasts that the first “vintage” was crafted in a beautiful, shiny, new trash can and stored in a closet at the winery.  All the wine was bottled by his hands and shared by family and friends.  Ultima Tulie has come a long way since the days of closets and tin cans, yet Cameron insists that every bottle still passes through his hands.  This care and attention to detail is evident in tasting his wines, particularly the 2020 100% Petite Sirah. 

Wine made from 100% Petite Sirah is uncommon, even in California, where most Petite Sirah vineyards exist.  The grape came to fruition (pun intended) in the late 1880s when botanist Francois Durif created the varietal by crossbreeding Syrah and Peloursin.  Despite its name translating to little Syrah, it boasts distinctive qualities separate from Syrah and is anything but diminutive.  In fact, it only earned the name Petite Sirah once imported to America and, in France, is referred to as Durif.  What we LOVE about Petite Sirah is its intensity and power, with the intriguing dichotomy of connotatively sweet aromas like dark and blue fruits with savory like black pepper and espresso.  Ultima Tulie hit the mark in every aspect of the richness we crave from Petite Sirah, coming from an up-and-coming producer who values quality and intention in his winemaking.  If you love big, bold reds and are ready to venture out from Cabernet, reach for this Ultima Tulie 2020 Petite Sirah bottle.

While Cameron’s tasting notes aren’t the most conventional, we’d be remiss for not sharing his unique words about his 2020 Petite Sirah-“You roll down your windows, and the scent of fresh pine and sawdust fills your truck.  You snack on peppered beef jerky in the dry summer heat.  The sound and texture of the passing air overwhelms your senses and drowns out the music coming from the dash.”