Ambyth - 'Divinus' - Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier - Paso Robles, CA - 2023

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Varietals: Marsanne 28%, Grenache Blanc 27%, Roussanne 24%, Viognier 21%

Appellation: Paso Robles, CA

Vineyard: AmByth Estate, Mark’s and Stonecross Vineyards

Cert and Farm: Biodynamic. Organic. Dry Farmed.

Aging Vessel and time: Italian Terrecotta Amphora 13 months

Yeast, Sulfites, Additions: Native, None

Alc: 11.56%

Cases Produced: 46

Notes on the Producer

There was never a grand plan at AmByth Estate, beyond trying to understand our land and treat it the best way we could for future generations (thus the name AmByth, meaning "forever" in Welsh). The land was purchased in 2 parcels, in 2000 and 2001. In 2003 Biodynamic preparations started to be added to our land in homeopathic quantities, setting the scene for the Earth to function in as healthy a way as possible. Vines and olive trees in the lower vineyard were planted in 2003 and the upper vineyards in 2005. Each vine had 5 gallons of water from a drip bucket prior to a winter season and that is all the water that was provided to establish themselves, the rest came from rainfall. The first decent year for harvest was in 2010, 2011 would have been a good year but a late frost destroyed half the crop. Then we were hit with 5 years of drought with extremely minimum rainfall followed by 2 years of near average. The vines have survived and now are producing what we believe to be the best quality juice for wine in the region. We are stewards of the land, doing the best we can. Learning from others and mostly ourselves with what we are given.
Right in between Los Angeles and San Francisco and just south of Paso Robles and north of San Luis Obispo, the estate vineyards are situated on a saddle ridge atop a nobby hill in the middle of a vortex thats known as the Templeton Gap. Cool Pacific Ocean air filters through the Santa Lucia Mountains along the central coast and gets pulled almost every day into the Creston Valley extending West to East, making our appellation 5 or more degrees cooler than surrounding areas. This wind also helps keep the vines dry and free of mildews and molds and doesnt allow large colonies of bugs to establish throughout the growing season (which helps with our theories of farming). Steep hillsides allow the plants to extend their dry farmed roots into ancient substrate of sedimentary rock and deposits of Limestone, Sandstone, Calcarous Clays, and Clay Loam. A mixture known as Linne Calodo. This minerality and acidity the vines extract from the ground can easily be identified in our estate wines.
BIODYNAMIC FARMING
Biodynamics is a farming method made popular by philosopher Rudolf Steiner through a series of lectures given to farmers and landowners in 1924. Biodynamic agriculture arose out of a response to the widespread use of commercial fertilizers and the observations of soil depletion by farmers just after the turn of the century. It is now gaining increased attention for its emphasis on superior food quality and soil health. It is an approach to agriculture in which the whole of creation (the cosmos)—the air, water, soil, sun and moon are interconnected and thus play a role in every action taken upon our land. It is holistic, natural and healing.
We apply homeopathic doses of naturally occurring plant and animal materials to our compost pile, our vines and the soil in the vineyards and orchards. Biodynamic farming not only encourages the elimination of all chemicals used in farming, but encourages the farmer to pay close attention to the forces of nature influencing his/her farm entity.
DEMETER CERTIFIED BIODYNAMIC WINES
AmByth Estate is Paso Robles’ First Winery to Produce Demeter Certified Biodynamic Wines. We gained our certification from the Demeter Association in 2006. We utilize the Biodynamic method of farming to enhance our observations of nature, and use these intimate insights as tools that allow our 20 acres of vineyards to express their true character through the grapes it produces. We want our grapes to be as unique to AmByth Estate as your thumbprint is to you. The estate consists of 20 acres of vineyards and 600 olive trees dedicated to Biodynamic farming principles since their initial planting. 20 acres of untouched oak forests surround the vineyards.
At the heart of Biodynamic farming is the commitment to create a self-sustaining and diverse estate. We are a vineyard farm! A vital role to sustaining farmed land is the use of aged compost, inserted with the Biodynamic preparations, and applied yearly. This compost fertilizes, rejuvenates and enlivens the soil, creating healthy plants, balanced ecosystems and exceptional crop production. We also believe in the integration of farm animals, bees, olive trees, fruit & nut trees, vegetable gardens and landscaping with edible plants and California natives with extreme minimal-to-zero use of water.