Decemil is a five-acre micro estate planted exclusively to Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre in the Willow Creek District.
Ten Thousand Vines
Beginning
When we acquired this property in 2014, the land challenged us with its complex angles and draws, all nestled into the wild coastal woodlands of Paso Robles. After years of careful analysis and consultation with experienced winemaker Anthony Yount and vineyard manager Bill Kesselring, we planted 10,000 organically farmed vines spanning four distinct blocks, each aiming to maximize the elements of variety, clone, slope, exposure and soil composition. We knew that the ultimate ingredient, however, would be the overarching greatness of the Willow Creek District—one of the world’s most providential areas for growing Rhône varieties.
The resulting wines are sumptuous, structured and wholly site-specific. We are proud to share them with you and to invite you into the world of Decemil. Our story is just getting started.
-JERRY ULRICH, PROPRIETOR, GROWER AND VINTNER
We Pursue
Perfection
Few places on earth, outside of the Rhône Valley itself, are as ideally suited for these grape varieties as the Willow Creek District AVA. The rise of Paso Robles in the early 2000s was concurrent with a new wave of winemakers from the Willow Creek District, whose Syrahs, Grenaches and GSMs earned unprecedented ratings and drove worldwide recognition for the region. Decemil is one of the next-generation inheritors of this legacy, and a proud participant in the future of the Willow Creek District.
The name Decemil is a nod to the Rhône Valley’s Roman roots. This is where Caesar's people first made wine in France, gifting the world an iconic regional wine trade that endures today. We combined the Latin words for “ten” and “thousand” into Decemil, signifying our estate’s 10,000 vines.
Born to Rhône
Estate
Located deep in the coastal mountains of the Willow Creek District at elevations reaching 1,300 feet, the Decemil estate is planted to 10,000 vines across four blocks spanning 5.1 acres. The soils are alluvial and calcareous, composed of limestone rocks and limestone-rich clay loam. The blocks form a U shape around a central crown, resulting in a variety of sloping row orientations that make for challenging viticulture. The slopes are steepest in blocks 2 (Syrah and Grenache) and 3 (Grenache). The Pacific Ocean is just 12 miles away, exerting a pronounced marine effect that extends the rate of ripening.
Our Pledge
Responsibly
Farmed
The macro of this aspiration is the Willow Creek District; the micro is our five-acre estate; and the nano is the vineyard’s amalgam of shifting attributes including soil, slope and exposure that individualize every vine. In this way, each Decemil wine is a finite outcome drawn from a world of infinite elements.
Fruit purity is an essential tenet of site specificity. For this reason, we are committed to organic and regenerative farming practices. These include all-natural inputs; cover crops of barley and legumes; sheep for grazing and fertilizing; and polyculture through native wildflower cultivation and the preservation of adjacent walnut trees planted more than 50 years ago.
In the words of proprietor Jerry Ulrich: “If your inputs are natural versus chemical, you will tell the difference. We are stewards of the earth, and with that comes a responsibility not only to our wines, but to our customers and community.”
The Team
Our Proprietors
Proprietors Jerry and Toni Ulrich set their sights on the Willow Creek District in 2014, where they acquired a 10-acre homesite that would soon become the Decemil micro estate. To this day, Jerry’s background in technology finance and operations continues to inform his approach to Decemil wines: “I have always enjoyed process, discovery and detail work, and winemaking turns these things into something soulful and even mystical.”
Vineyard Team
In planting the vineyard, Jerry and Toni leaned on Anthony Yount, star winemaker at Denner Vineyards, for advice on clones used by other top wineries in the Willow Creek District. To develop the vineyard, they turned to Bill Kesselring of Kesselring Vineyard Consulting Services, who continues to work with Jerry and Toni to nourish their organically and regeneratively farmed five-acre vineyard.
Winemaking Team
After completing an 18-month winemaking program through UC Davis, Jerry turned to Kevin Jussila, accomplished winemaker at kukkula Wines, for hands-on experience. Kevin brought him on as a “senior” intern for the 2021 harvest and winemaking. As Decimil’s consulting winemaker, Kevin adds invaluable decades of experience and knowledge. Assistant winemaker Curren du Beau is also instrumental to the Decemil winemaking program.
