Last night marked the 5th consecutive year we have hosted PeterStolpman of Stolpman Vineyards ( Ballard Canyon , Santa Ynez Valley ) for a tasting of their wonderfully crafted wines. Many of our guests have collected Stolpman wines since that first tasting some five years back. The wines showed incredibly even though they had arrived via Fed Ex that very same day. To follow are a few of my conclusions;

• If you like dry Rose, buy this one, it is very fresh and  very vibrant..
•  If you think Roussanne must be consumed young, talk to Dr. Walter Beebe. He is down to his last bottle of 2009 L'Avion and swears it keeps getting better.
• The Estate Syrah is excellent, but the 2011 Angeli may be the best California Syrah I have ever experienced.
• The 2012 La Croce is seriously multi dimensional. Big Wine, Lots of finesse. The La Croce is a must try experience for Sangiovese lovers.
  Rex

 

 

  

2016 ROSE

Pure fresh strawberry and watermelon give way to a touch of stone and earth.  Sweet tart candy with an alluring freshness.  In the mouth, a touch of saline and flint add a savory edge to the soft, voluptuous texture.  $19.50 per, $17.55 per case purchases, can mix

 

 

A voluptuously rich, full bodied white white. The 2014 Roussanne remains bright and lively thanks to relatively high acid. Like our 2014 reds, the Roussanne is exceedingly approachable now or cellar it two to five years for an even more luxuriously rich profile. A creamy mouthfeel with a bouquet of white flower, lemon meringue and sweet cedar. 88% Roussanne, 12% Chardonnay  'Estate' Ballard Canyon    $27.50 per, $24.75 per case purchases, can mix

 

Palate of honeysuckle, poached pear drizzled with Caramel, and ripe golden pineapple backed with nice umami notes of nori and sea brine.  A deep toasty profile compliments brioche and Crème Brulee flavors - and the desert motif continues with a lingering vanilla bean ice cream on the finish.    $39.00 per, $35.25 per case purchases, can mix

 

The dark density of the wine compliments the bright fruit profile bursting with tangerine and fresh red fruit.   While the 2014 Estate Syrah certainly reflects the warmth of the vintage, the wine still shows a lively tartness that indicates a long life ahead of it.  The ability to combine birght, lively fruit with pleasurable richness has become the signature of Ballard Canyon Syrah.  2014 showcases the middle ground - not jammy or gloppy like a warmer climate Syrah - but not austere and hollow like many young cold climate Syrahs.    Justa baby now, the primary flavors will surely unfurl into more complex, seamless layers.  While the ideal drinking window begins around 2018, our leap forward in winemaking methodology allows for early enjoyment as well.  $29.00 per, $26.10 per case purchases, can mix

 

The 2011 Angeli is a personal favorite of mine.  The vintage was exceptional in its quality.  2011 had a cooler than average growing season, similar to 2010, but without the huge heat storm. This weather combined with a late spring season frost event that greatly reduced yields, produced spectacularly concentrated and balanced grapes.  Never before have I seen a vintage that produced wines with so much nuance depending on the origin of their climate and soil type.  At Stolpman our Syrah vines planted in pure limestone produced the best wines - mineral, elegant, powerful, and complex.  The cuvee was fermented with grapes from both older vines from our 1998 planting and younger vines that come from our "own-rooted" vineyards planted in 2006.  33% stems were included in the fermentations.  The 2011 Angeli will be extremely long-lived and will reach its plateau early.  If you decide to drink this early, long decanting is recommended.  Sashi Moorman, Winemaker    $68.00 per, $61.20 per case purchases, can mix

 

For such a massive wine, the nose gives off a whimsical red berry fruit aroma atop a core of new leather and lush forest floor.  As the young, primary wine opens, attractive cocoa appears and the wine becomes more inviting.  In the mouth,  pulsating red fruit on top of Right Bank earthiness wows the un-indoctrinated - this is serious wine.  The red fruit seems alive, as if still hanging on the vine.  Well integrated with soft tannin bonded to a long fruit finish, and just when the wine seems over, one more intense pop of fruit resurges.  Tasting library vintages of La Croce, I note an anise component that I only pick up in top notch Bordeaux-varietal wines.  This dark bordelaise character signifies the uniqueness of this co-fermenetd field blend.    $69.00 per, $62.10 per case, can mix purchases