CONTACT Audrey Tito Distribution Manager 805.234.1217 | epochwines.com audrey@epochwines.com
Epoch Estate Wines 7505 York Mountain Road
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5 ABOUT EPOCH
6 PADEREWSKI VINEYARD
9 CATAPULT VINEYARD
10 YORK MOUNTAIN VINEYARD
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13 WINERY
14 TASTING ROOM
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17 BILL & LIZ ARMSTRONG
18 JORDAN FIORENTINI
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ABOUT EPOCH We feel so fortunate to have a lot of rich stories to tell at Epoch, so we hope you take the time to peruse some of these pages, or better yet, come see the story in action atop York Mountain. In the meantime, here is a quick summary of who we are and how we came to be… When setting out on our “crazy” quest to make wine, we did not have our sights set on any particular wine region. However, we knew two things for sure: we loved wines made from Rhône varieties, and being geologists, we understood the importance terroir plays in the making of world-class wines. Upon extensive research and travel, we kept coming back to Paso Robles for the weather, unique soils, hilliness, and extreme temperature swings that are known to this region and are found within each of our vineyard sites – Paderewski, Catapult, and York Mountain. The cowboy culture, entrepreneurial spirit, and unmistakable beauty were just added bonuses!
Our own epoch officially began in 2004 with the purchase of our Paderewski Vineyard. This chapter became so fruitful (pun intended) that we spread our roots to Catapult Vineyard in 2008 and then the historic York Mountain Winery two years later.
Today we are beyond blessed to be stewards of these lands, and we are honored to carry on the legacies of York Mountain and Ignacy Jan Paderewski through our wines, wines that are carefully crafted from Rhône, Zinfandel, and Tempranillo varieties. Like we said, there are a multitude of stories begging to be told within this short summary, so we hope you take some time to read more about us and eventually come see us in person!
Thank you for your interest and support. We look forward to sharing this Epoch journey with y’all!
– Liz and Bill Armstrong, Owners
PHOTOGRAPHY: BRITTANY APP
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PADEREWSKI VINEYARD Travel just west of Paso Robles, and you will find Paderewski Vineyard: sixty-seven acres of undulating, steep, limestone-rich hillsides within 570 rural, spring-fed acres. In the early 1900’s, this vineyard was cherished and farmed by world-renowned pianist, Polish diplomat, and vintner, Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Fast forward a century, and this property stood forgotten and fallow. Lucky for us, in 2004, we became the stewards of this amazing piece of property. With a specific vision and mission to bring this historic vineyard back to life, the Epoch story began.
Just like our soils, our climate here is intense. The Paso Robles wine region benefits from the largest diurnal temperature swing of any region in California. Daily, temperatures can vary as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, creating the ideal environment for achieving that perfect acidity in ripening wine grapes. At Paderewski Vineyard, each warm afternoon is greeted with cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean sweeping east through the Templeton Gap, allowing our vines to take full advantage of Paso’s unique climate. It is obvious to us why Ignacy Jan Paderewski sought out this exact location to plant his roots – both personally and for his vines. The breathtaking views, the soil composition, the climate, and the community are unlike any other wine region in the world. We are beyond humbled to call this property our own, and will continue to honor Paderewski’s legacy by cherishing these 570 acres and carrying out the vision we share for this land.
Home to intense earth that bears little resemblance to typical California soils, this vineyard is filled with lean, rocky, and calcareous soil profiles. After carefully pairing the hillsides with their respective wine variety, the vineyard was planted with Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, and Viognier. These vines are mostly grafted onto Phylloxera resistant Native American rootstock with the exception of a few blocks of Syrah and Grenache vines planted on their own rootstock. Creating a patchwork of vines, the vineyard’s clone selections were carefully chosen to create the perfect match between soil and vine. In addition, the vineyard blocks were meticulously laid out based on their unique exposures, soil attributes, and mesoclimates. Today, you are able to taste the synergy created by the methodical planting decisions made in 2004, as each block is happily producing fruit specific to their exact location.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BRITTANY APP
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VINEYARD STATS
PLANTED 2004
ACREAGE 67 under vine, 570 total
SOILS limestone, calcareous, rocky
PH low to mid 8s
AVA Paso Robles
AVA Willow Creek
RED VARIETIES Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, and Petite Sirah
WHITE VARIETIES Viognier
FARMING PRACTICES Farmed using organic and biodynamic practices
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VINEYARD STATS
PLANTED 2008
ACREAGE 28 under vine, 45 total
SOILS shale, clay, silt, rocky
PH high 5s
AVA Paso Robles
DISTRICT Willow Creek
RED VARIETIES Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Tempranillo
WHITE VARIETIES Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne
FARMING PRACTICES Farmed using organic and biodynamic practices
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CATAPULT VINEYARD Directly in the heart of the Paso Robles’ Templeton Gap, near the acclaimed L’Aventure and Booker Vineyards, sits our Catapult Vineyard. In 2008, we came across forty-five barren acres of extreme, rocky soils packed with siliceous shale and little limestone content, just the type of soils we love; soils that encourage the vines to struggle while finding nourishment deep within the ground. The reward of this hardworking vine is berries packed with wicked complexity and intense flavors. Though barely three miles from our Paderewski Vineyard, the pH level at Catapult Vineyard is in the high 5s. A nice complement to the dirt over at “Rewski”. This pH difference, coupled with the cooler mesoclimate at Catapult, brings out different flavor profiles from the fruit produced. Staying true to our goals, the vineyard was planted after copious research of the soils and land exposures. It is important to us that the vines partner perfectly with the soils found within our vineyards. Today, seven grape varieties — Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Viognier – are planted to this plot of land that was born to be a vineyard.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BRITTANY APP
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YORK MOUNTAIN VINEYARD The York Family, Paso wine pioneers and owners of this historic property for more than eighty years, had vineyards on this mountain, and now we do too! In the spring of 2015, after much dreaming and planning, we began planting vines at this “cool climate” site (colder than Burgundy). Located just seven miles from the Pacific Ocean at an elevation of 1,500 feet, this property falls in the small 640 acre York Mountain AVA, which is outside of the very large Paso Robles AVA. The soils and climate are very different than our other two vineyards: sand and sandstone soils (some areas look like you are on the beach) along with a very moderate climate due to the even closer proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Due to the elevation and distance from the ocean, York Mountain receives more than twice the amount of rainfall as our other vineyards and has characteristic foggy mornings throughout the year with cool breezes all day long. When deciding what to plant, we wanted to keep with what we know and love best, but we also decided to experiment a bit too. We have planted mostly Syrah and Grenache and hope to craft pure varietal expressions of these two Rhône grapes in our very different terroir. In addition, we will be growing a small amount of Viognier, Roussanne, Zinfandel, and for the first time ever, Cabernet. Bring on the spice, fresh fruit and bright acidity!
PHOTOGRAPHY: ACACIA PRODUCTIONS
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VINEYARD STATS
PLANTED 2015
ACREAGE 21 under vine, 220 total
SOILS sand, fragmented, and fractured sandstone
PH high 4s to mid 6s
AVA York Mountain
RED VARIETALS Syrah, Grenache, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon
WHITE VARIETALS Viognier and Roussanne
FARMING PRACTICES Farmed using organic and biodynamic practices
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THE WINERY Ten years, seven vintages, and two estate vineyard plantings passed before we had our own winery. While we are so thankful for the years spent building the Epoch name and honing our winemaking style at Denner’s facilities, we were beyond ecstatic to move into our own winery days before Harvest 2014 began. Our super-swanky winery is an impressive intersection of rustic elegance and modern architecture. Nestled into the oak covered hills of York Mountain, the 17,000 square foot state-of-the-art winery slips seamlessly into its surroundings. To ensure the natural beauty was not obstructed, we placed most of the winery beneath the earth by utilizing a cut-and-cover method. This allows the winery to literally blend into the landscape, and in turn, provides our barrel room with natural temperature control – a win, win for all! Weighing in at 14,000 pounds each, ten handcrafted, board-formed concrete tanks rest atop a cast-in-place concrete ledge within the sleek fermentation room. Designed for function with visual appeal, each tank boasts a conical shape (inside and out), allowing greater cap compression for the fermenting fruit. Each of the handcrafted tanks is fitted with glycol tubes running through the five-inch thick walls, providing flexibility for fermenting or aging wines. Jordan worked side- by-side with local tank manufacture, Micah Utter of Vino Vessel, to bring these big boys to life.
Six stainless steel tanks were also specifically designed for our space. These tanks give the winemaking team the ability to ferment, age, and blend prior to bottling. So as not to obstruct the elegance of the sixteen custom tanks, the winery strategically placed the catwalk and railings behind the vessels and installed a safety harness fall protection system to preserve the beauty of these one-of-a-kind tanks. The awe-inspiring barrel room is naturally cooled by the mass of earth surrounding the unique cast-in-place, board-formed concrete that makes up the ceiling, walls, and floors. Two oculi skylights are strategically placed to allow the natural daylight to filter into the room. This area is not only a place to store aging wine, it also lends Jordan a warming/cooling room to jumpstart wines that may need a little help from a temperature change. The entire winery has been integrated with night cooling. To keep in line with our sustainable strategies, we are also equipped with a photovoltaic system that provides 95% of our energy. These components, coupled with the natural daylight, allows the terroir of York Mountain to mingle with the terroir that our grapes exude when brought into the winery. We believe that terroir is not just at the vineyard site; terroir is also found where we craft the wines. These deliberate and desired elements continue to give the winemaking team the creativity and flexibility necessary to make the crazy delicious wines for which we are known.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BRITTANY APP ARCHITECT: LAKE FLATO/BRIAN KORTE
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TASTING ROOM Holding a well-storied past, the historic York Mountain Winery was established in 1882, making it the first bonded winery on the Central Coast. Over the next 120 years, this Winery lived through Prohibition, a handful of name changes, various owners (most often within the York family who owned it until 1970), many, many bottles of wine, and so much more. Through it all, the Winery operated continuously until 2001. In 2003, the San Simeon Earthquake hit California causing York Mountain Winery catastrophic damage that left this beloved building condemned. In 2010, Bill and Liz Armstrong purchased the property out of foreclosure with the intent of revitalizing this historic landmark and making it part of our Epoch story. In 2016, after years of restoration and permitting, York Mountain Winery finally opened again as our new Tasting Room! A full reconstruction of York Mountain Winery by Lake Flato Architects and B.K Architect LLC breathed new life into the design, while honoring the historic integrity of the site. This includes the careful and loving preservation of the original redwood beams as well as the bricks that were fired on property in 1906. These bricks along with the stones from the original cellar have been incorporated back into the structure with perfect precision. A basket press that was once used by the York brothers now sits amongst the rafters to replicate
the original positioning which allowed gravity to bring juice from the crushed grapes to the main floor. This modern-meets-rustic space showcases and celebrates the York Legacy as it simultaneously beckons the future of Epoch. We know how beloved this building and property was for so many long-time York Mountain patrons, and we were beyond thrilled to open its historic doors once again in 2016 as the next chapter in our Epoch story. Fun fact: Ignacy Jan Paderewski (the namesake of our Paderewski Vineyard) once brought harvested grapes from his vineyard to York Mountain where the York brothers turned this fruit into wine. We love bringing this winemaking story back to life, as fruit from this land is once again being crafted into wine on York Mountain.
PHOTOGRAPHY: CASEY DUNN ARCHITECT: LAKE FLATO/BRAIN KORTE
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BILL & LIZ ARMSTRONG Owners | Vintners
Geologists, Bill and Liz Armstrong, share a similar spirit, one that is dedicated to the purity of science and endless exploration. Bill, a self- diagnosed “cork dork,” is a huge believer in the fun and “truth” that is wine. One day Bill woke up and realized he wanted to be more than just a wine lover; he wanted to be a wine producer. And thus, he set out on a deliberate (and quite fun) search for the perfect plot of land, land that would produce wine he and Liz would love to make, drink, and share with family and friends. While studying oenology in his spare time, Bill’s palate quickly took a liking to wines from the Rhône region in France, particularly the Southern Rhône. These wines reflected their unique sense of place, were frickin’ delicious, and had a fun/happy factor that was totally up Bill’s alley. So with a specific wine style in mind and a Geology degree in his back pocket, Bill embarked on a quest for the ultimate American terroir that would produce world-class wine.
In 2004, this mission led Bill and Liz to a small pocket of land on California’s Central Coast between Paso Robles and the Pacific Ocean. The unique soils, weather, hilliness, and extreme temperature swings found at Paderewski Vineyard were exactly what they were searching for. What they were not expecting was how much the Paso culture totally jived with their personalities; the entrepreneurial, collaborative spirit along with the rodeo, All-American vibe had Bill and Liz feeling at home from day one. With the later purchases of Catapult and York Mountain, Bill and Liz’s Epoch journey expanded, and they look forward to many years of crafting delicious wines, making people happy, preserving Epoch’s rich history, and most importantly, having a blast while doing it!
PHOTOGRAPHY: BRITTANY APP
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JORDAN FIORENTINI Vice President of Winemaking & Vineyards After an extensive international search, Owners/Vintners, Bill and Liz Armstrong, found their dream partner in Jordan Fiorentini. The Epoch winemaking mission and unique vineyards stole Jordan’s heart, and before she knew it, she had packed up her family and moved from Sonoma to the quaint Central Coast town of Paso Robles. Passionate, dedicated, and not afraid to push the envelope, Jordan brings an enthusiastic and experienced spirit to Epoch Estate Wines. Her palate is the kind wine lovers dream of and one that speaks to Jordan through shapes; having an awesome artistic side, Jordan now draws her Tasting Notes in addition to writing about each wine. Jordan oversees all the wine and vine decisions along with the day-to-day needs of the winery. With her dedicated staff of four, she works hard to ensure every bottle of Epoch wine is always at its best. Besides being crazy talented, Jordan also happens to be wicked smart with an engineering undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and a master’s degree in viticulture from UC Davis. Jordan earned her spurs working at her family’s winery in Georgia (yes, they really do make wine in Georgia), Araujo Estate in Napa Valley, Antinori Winery in Italy (where she met her husband), and most recently as head winemaker at Chalk Hill in Sonoma.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BRITTANY APP
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Paderewski Vineyard
Catapult Vineyard
York Mountain Vineyard
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LOCATION : West Paso Robles ESTABLISHED : 2004 INAUGURAL VINTAGE : 2007
OWNERS : Bi l l and Liz Armstrong WINEMAKER : Jordan Fiorent ini CASE PRODUCTION : ~6,500 cases OUR VINEYARDS : Paderewski Vineyard, Catapul t Vineyard & York Mountain Vineyard 100% ESTATE GROWN
RED VARIETIES Syrah Grenache
Mourvèdre Tempranillo Zinfandel Petite Sirah
What does epoch mean anyways? 1. A per iod of grand or remarkable events. 2. A division of geologic t ime.
WHI TE VA R I E T I E S Grenache Blanc Roussanne Viognier
Epoch Estate Wines 7505 York Mountain Road Templeton, CA 93465 epochwines.com
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