There was a time Cameron Stoffel did not think being a winemaker was possible. Then he and his wife Mallory came across an old Nordic phrase, Ultima Thule, meaning beyond the borders of the known world, and something clicked. That, he realized, was the leap he wanted to make. He made his first wine in 2011 in a storage closet at Herman Story, apprenticing under the irrepressible Russell From, and turned it into his own label the same year. Ultima Tulie is the result: tiny lots of bold, complex Syrah and Petite Sirah, made and labeled by one person who refuses to let a single bottle out the door without touching it himself.

From a storage closet to his own label

Cameron Stoffel found his way to wine through a phrase. He and his wife Mallory stumbled on the Nordic term Ultima Thule, beyond the borders of the known world, the name old mapmakers gave to the farthest unknown north, and Cameron recognized it as a description of the leap he wanted to take. Winemaking, once something he did not think was possible, became his Ultima Thule, the thing worth chasing past the edge of the map.

He started where many great Paso stories start, in someone else cellar. In 2011 he made his first batch of wine in a storage closet at Herman Story Wines, apprenticing under the larger-than-life Russell From, and that experiment grew into his own label the same year. Since then he has produced micro lots of high-quality wine, and the operation stays radically personal: no bottle is sold without first passing through his hands, and he is also the artist behind every label. Ultima Tulie is about as close to a one-person winery as it gets.

No bottle of Ultima Tulie is sold without first passing through Cameron Stoffel hands, and he paints the artwork on every label too.

Tin City, made by hand

Ultima Tulie pours in Tin City, the district of metal buildings just south of downtown Paso Robles that has become the home of the regions most independent, hands-on producers, exactly the right setting for a winery this personal. The tasting room on Limestone Way is small and direct, the kind of place where the person across the bar is very likely the person who made, bottled and even drew the label on the wine in your glass.

There are no estate vines here. Stoffel works in the Paso Robles tradition of the garagiste, sourcing distinctive fruit and making it in tiny quantities, which lets him chase exactly the sites and grapes he wants. Paso Robles, with its hot days and cold nights, is ideal ground for the bold reds he favors: the afternoon heat builds deep, dark, concentrated fruit, while the steep nighttime drop preserves the acidity that keeps even a powerful wine in balance. Made by hand in micro lots, the wines carry the fingerprint of a single, committed maker.

The wines: bold Syrah and Petite Sirah

Ultima Tulie is built on big, expressive reds, with Syrah and Petite Sirah at the center. The Syrah is dark and savory, full of blackberry, smoked meat and pepper, while the Petite Sirah is inky and powerful, with dense black fruit and the firm tannin that lets the variety age. These are wines that burst onto the palate with a myriad of flavors and grab you on the first sip, made with intent rather than restraint.

Because everything is made in micro lots and personally overseen, the wines are scarce and the lineup rewards tasting through whatever is currently open. The Highlands District Petite Sirah and the various Syrah bottlings show what Paso heat and cold nights can do in the hands of a maker who cares about every step. For drinkers who love bold, characterful reds and the story of a true solo winemaker, Ultima Tulie is a memorable stop.

What to pour it with

Bold reds like these were made for big, fatty, charred food. Both Syrah and Petite Sirah carry firm tannin that binds to protein and fat, so a peppered ribeye, braised short ribs, lamb or anything off a smoky grill makes the wine taste rounder and softer while the wine cuts the richness of the meat. With Syrah in particular, the char of the grill echoes the wine own smoked-meat note, a pairing that works on two levels at once.

Petite Sirah, one of the most tannic reds around, especially loves the fattiest cuts and slow-braised dishes, where there is plenty of richness for the tannin to grip. Hard aged cheeses and cured meats are the easy tasting-room match, since salt rounds the tannin and lifts the fruit. The one thing to avoid is delicate white fish, which leaves these powerful reds nothing to hold onto and turns them bitter, so keep them with the hearty plates.

Ultima Tulie: common questions