Super giving and generous, the Estate Grown Syrah will be the cuvee that proves the magic of the 2018 growing season for all who taste it. The first red wine release from our Ballard Canyon estate, it represents an unprecedented leap in âyum quotientâ I couldnât have dreamt possible when I took over the company 10 years ago. The thick, tantalizing red fruit through the palate bears a strong correlation to the best 2018 St. Joseph Syrah bottlings we tasted on our teamâs June 2019 trip to France. I am thrilled we locked in the current fresh profile and bottled in early September, just over 10 months after harvesting. The fierce red fruit bursting through the palate brings me back to the cellar of Gonon while the hint of tar brooding beneath reminds me of Monier Perreol. As the wine opens in the glass, more soul begins to emerge out of the pure prettiness. Not only is this wine a bombshell out of the gate, it will only begin to peak in 3-4 more years.
Winemaking/Vintage Notes
Vintage
The heat-free 2018 vintage gave winemakers the chance to let fruit hang on the vine to achieve extreme ripeness with some semblance of balance and energy. While our more limited production 2018 Stolpman Syrah cuvees will show off this opulent ripeness, we were careful to keep the Estate Grown Syrah cuvee fresh and lively, completing harvest October 20th in the unusually late-ripening year.
Winemaking
Vatting/Fermentation: Open-top concrete fermenting tanks
Cooperages & Elevage: 100% neutral French oak 500L Puncheons, 10 months
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Varietal: 100% Syrah
Appellation: Ballard Canyon
Vineyard Designation: Stolpman
Alcohol: 14.1%
Harvest Date: October 10-20, 2018
Release Date: October 2019
Total Production: 3900 cases
2018 Stolpman Estate Grenache, Ballard Canyon
Tasting Notes
The 2018 Grenache rivals the decadent 2008 bottling that made us many new friends and club members. Assistant winemaker Matt Nocas crowned this cuvee âbaby-making wineâ. It is red and romantic. Seductive and voluptuous. Polished to perfection, the wine glides â it is giving and generous but with serious structure and Intensity â somehow still leaving a sense of intrigue even after giving so much thick, plush deliciousness upfront.
Winemakeing/Vintage Notes
Vintage
Heat spikes define vintages in Ballard Canyon. We are blessed to farm without fear of rain, rot, hail, and humidity. In 2018 the only heatwave we suffered through arrived so early, on July 7; that it didnât impact the fruit ripening or quality. The summer turned into a moderate, steady, dream year when acids hung high as sugar slowly accumulated and intense, nuanced flavor developed.
Winemaking
Vatting/Fermentation: Open-top concrete fermenting tanks
Cooperages & Elevage: 100% Neutral 500L French Ermitage 500L, Oak Puncheons, daily pumpovers with mid-fermentation rack and returns, foot trodding the drained berries to gently extract more juice.
Owners: Tom & Marilyn Stolpman and Pete & Jessica Stolpman
Founded: 1990
Location: Los Olivos, California
Over 20 years ago, our Founding Partner, Tom Stolpman, discovered what we believe to be one of the greatest viticultural sites on earth. Hidden in the hills of Californiaâs Central Coast, on a rare Limestone outcropping & unobstructed from the Pacific Ocean wind, this unique land is naturally suited to grow Syrah and Roussanne grapes. We are committed to preserving this natural environment for our vines through conscious farming, dry farming, & sustainable employment. In the winery, we prefer native fermentation & minimal manipulation.
Dedicated to sensible farming & winemaking, we believe that we can create vibrant, site-specific wines, with a focus unique to Ballard Canyon AVA, California.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
@trifecta Founded in 1990 - we originally only sold our grapes to other wineries - Sine Qua Non, Ojai, Qupe - and today we still sell a bit of fruit to Dargonette, Jaffurs, Whitcraft, Story of Soil, Jacob Toft, Kunin, Levo and a few other friends >> So even if you havenât tried our wines perhaps you have tried our terroir in the hands of another winemaker
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Stolpman Estate Mixed Reds - $20 = 9.08%
Thank you Alice, and the crew at Casemates. Once again we are honored to Lab Rat for your elucidation.
tl;drâŠgo to the Summary.
I expected a small box, and was pleasantly surprised to find a two-compartment corrugated container. What joy! I immediately scored the plastic tape and pulled out two bottles of red wine. Again overwhelming joy! I recognized the Stolpman name on the bottles and found that one was an Estate Syrah, and the other an Estate Grenache. Both of which I anticipated to be fabulous.
Time to get to work. We have but a short weekend to taste these wines for you. A task that we take very seriously.
First Pop-n-Pour the Grenache. I expect it to be lighter, so we will taste it first. I poured about four ounces into each of two Casemates glasses and gave one to SWMBO. As expected, the color is a semi-translucent dark magenta. I took off my spectacles to get my nose deep into the glass, and got a medicinal alcohol whiffâŠbut along with that was an etherial smell of fruit, raspberry maybe, but what I would expect to smell from Grenache. She smelled alcohol and some âfunkâ. We swirled and almost immediately the alcohol and funk went away and itâs now smooth, âalmost creamy, port-like mouth feelâ. The legs are like those of a chubby baby. Thereâs not a lot of fruit, itâs well-integrated, very Grenache-like, with a finish that is somewhat astringent. More later.
Now, while the portabella veggie burgers cook, and after a few giant Sicilian green olives, letâs Pop-n-Pour the Syrah. Though both wines state 14.5% alcohol, the Syrah doesnât immediately scream âAlcoholâ. It is beautifully dark, opaque with a ruby rim, and smells rich with dark fruits, but almost austere. SWMBO gets Band-Aids which is code for Old-World, certainly nothing like an over-extracted Australian Shiraz. I like itâŠvery classy and put together well beyond its years.
A quick check of cellartrackerâŠandâŠnot a lot of information. It did remind me that neither of these wines was overly acidic or overly oaked, and the Syrah has a distinct GSM-like finish.
More later.
Later, watching TV, Grenache first. The flavor has really come out, more acid, more tannins. Still, thereâs that delicious Grenache flavorâŠetherial, elevated red fruits. Good mouthfeel, spicy with a strong finish. I think this Grenache would work well with spicy food, maybe Thai or Mexican even. Tasty. Weâll try it again tomorrow.
The Syrah is mellower, âvery old-worldâ. I get that GSM flavor which I think some describe as âmeatyâ. The finish lasts forever, with a kind of floral aftertaste.
The next night, after corking and sitting on the counter overnight, with baby back ribs and a spicy BBQ sauce. The Grenache was very smooth and very delicious, nice high-toned fruits and perfect acidity. This stuff was made to last. The Syrah, on the other hand, lost most of its fruit and was rather harsh. Loved the Grenache, the Syrah, not so much.
Summary: These wines are true to their Rhone roots. The Grenache is delicious after a few minutes of air, and is built to last @14.5% alcohol and little oak. $34 at the winery, would be a steal at $20. The Syrah is somewhat austere in an old-world sort of way, and did not fare well on day 2. If you like it old-world you will be happy with the SyrahâŠnot anything like an Australian Shiraz.
So there I was last Thursday afternoon, minding my own business and cleaning a bathroom exhaust fan of dust (and a possible, but thankfully dead, brown recluse spider) when I got a notification on my phone. I saw that it came from UPS, which was unexpected (I had an outboard motor starter arriving later that day, but had already received the notification for it). I then saw that it was a shipment from Wine Country Connect, which made me guess that it might be a draft notice for labrat duty (since there was no way that the Vigo Cellars case I had ordered that morning would already be due for delivery). Looking further, I saw that the Reference Number was STOLPMANGREN+Syrah so I browsed on over to the Stolpman Vineyards website to see if they had a Grenache/Syrah blend, but I only found Grenache and (numerous) Syrah. I then noticed the shipping weight of 7.00 LBS and deduced that I was receiving two bottles (oh joy!). They arrived at 5:12pm on Friday after a long ride in the back of the truck in mid-70s weather. I checked the internal temperature of the package and it was 79 degrees F (26.1 for those of the C mindset), then pulled out the bottles to find 2018 Estate Grenache and Syrah. I found one open slot in my wine refrigerator, and removed the bottle of 1999 Wellington Estate Zinfandel next to it (which we drank that night) to make a space for the second bottle.
I decided to cook some chicken on the grill on Saturday (it was a beautiful day here in rural mid-Missouri) to have the Syrah. I opened the wine several hours before dinnertime, as I thought it could use some time to breathe, being a fairly recent vintage and the Stolpman website notes ââŠit will only begin to peak in 3-4 more yearsâ (which made me a bit sad to have to open it this year, but duty calls). When I pulled the Syrah out of my cooler it was at about 59 degrees. Both bottles are absent of any âfoilâ or wax over the corks (an esthetic minimalism). The natural cork showed minimal staining. I poured an inital small taste into a glasses for my wife and I.
The color to me was a deep garnet, free of any sediment. A swirl showed some slow forming wide legs. The initial sniff was some herbal qualities and darker fruit, and the initial taste having some alcohol heat, dark fruit (such as dark cherry), spice, herbal, a slight floral character, and perhaps a bit of earthiness. Each time I tasted I was reminded of a Gamay, but with more depth and spice. I put the bottle into a cool water bath to keep the temperature below 60 for the next several hours (the room temperature was 75). I prepared boneless chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic, and a light dusting of seasoning salt and powdered chipotle (a favorite seasoning of mine, but I intentionally held back on it this time). I heated up the grill (Iâm a die-hard charcoal fan) and had some apple and cherry wood chips in the smoker box. Once things were hot and smoking I put the chicken on the grill, and after turning gave it a quick application of some BBQ sauce and allowed it to carmelize as it was turned. We also had some leftover brats that I had grilled a few nights ago, so I reheated one of them to give a different comparison. My wife prepared tossed salad and some pan-grilled asparagus. Once things were ready we settled in to a beautiful view for our dinner. (The lake is much less visible when the leaves are on the trees, but it runs across the center of the image.)
The heat of the Syrah had definitely subsided, and it provided a nice accompanyment to the meal. The brat had a much spicier flavor profile, which brought out more of a fruitiness in the wine (my wife said she liked the brat better with the wine than the chicken, and I found both to be enjoyable). The Syrah had a nice balance of flavors and acidity. Since I avoid as much carbohydrates as possible (wine doesnât have any carbs, does it?), I didnât have any chocolate to nibble on, but we did have some cocoa dusted almonds on hand so after dinner I tried a few of them along with the wine. The flavor went well, and I seemed to sense a more chocolatey flavor in the wine after the almonds. I forced myself to save a final glass for the next day and recorked the bottle and put if back in the wine fridge.
On the second day, I found the Syrah to be much more âSyrah-likeâ (the Gamay comparison seems to have faded). Spiciness, and yet seemed smoother that on the first day. Again very enjoyable.
I think this Syrah would appeal to those who like reds that are toward the medium end of the spectrum. After the first day I was thinking that it could even to Pinot Noir fans (although definitely toward the deeper flavored PN), but this was less so on the second day as the Syrah character became more pronounced.
For the Grenache I had hoped on Sunday to parallel the steps I had taken with the Syrah; however, I ended up distracted in the early afternoon when a friend offered to help me install the afore-mentioned outboard starter, and after that my wife and I took him out for a bit of time on the Lake of the Ozarks. We didnât get home until after 6pm, and I quickly retrieved the Grenache (and leftover Syrah) from the wine fridge. I poured some initial tastings of the Grenache.
It had a slightly lighter color than the Syrah, fresh fruitiness on the nose, quick-forming long thin legs on the glass. I set out getting ready for dinner (with our somewhat-limited options, I decided on cedar-planked salmon on the grill). My wife declared the Grenache to be more enjoyable than the Syrah â she had emptied her initial pour fairly quickly during dinner preparations, which made me think about the winemakerâs description of this being a âbaby-making wineâ (although if this were to happen for us it would be news of biblical proportions). The spices on the cedar-planked salmon that I grilled were a bit too much for the Grenache, but it had enjoyable bright red fruit (but not a fruit bomb) and smoothness that easily masked the stated 14.5% alcohol. I again restrained us to save a glass for the next day. I felt a bit saddened that this session had been rather rushed.
Both of these wines were delicous. I wouldnât hesitate to recommend them. The Casemates bottle price seems close to the $20 point that I thought they would come in at.
@Mark_L Nice notes. I havenât had a ton of Stolpman wines but those Iâve had over the years have always been enjoyable. Looks like a nice deal.
(and looks like youâre settling in at the new digs!)
Finished of the Grenache tonight. Not quite as fresh as yesterday (yesterday was better), but still good.
Thank you to Alice and Casemates for getting me back into the Labrat queue after the recent mis-shipment of the Scott Harvey Zin to my old address. Iâm glad to know that upcoming shipments should arrive at my correct address.
91 Points Stolpman 2018 Grenache (Ballard Canyon)
Crunchy red currant, carnations, rose petals and wet slate hint at some carbonic fermentation on the nose of this bottling. The palate falls in line as well, with refreshing red-fruit and red-rose-petal flavors that are crisp and zippy. MK 5/1/20
92 Points Stolpman 2018 Estate Grown Syrah (Ballard Canyon)
Clean aromas of boysenberry, wet stone and sifted ash show on the lively nose of this bottling. The palate is intensely grippy with earthy tension, combining freshly smashed berry flavors with aromatic rosewater flavors and just a hint of game. MK 5/1/20
@kaolis I canât say that I identified âcarnations and rose petalsâ (perhaps this was the floral note I mentioned) or âaromatic rosewater flavorsâ (I either need a more refined palate or an expanded vocabulary, or both ) but I can appreciate the way âMKâ described the wines.
@kaolis@Mark_L@rjquillin there is a touch of whole grape âcarbonicâ fermentation in most of our reds due to #1 the gente treatment of fermentation in which some grapes will remain intact and ferment whole and #2 because we use significant % of whole-cluster fermentation the rachis and stem structure protect some grapes from being crushed as we foot trod and circulate the fermenting tank. In this case, the fresh fruit purity when tasted upon release is probably referred to as âcarbonic fermentationâ - because we donât add yeaststhere will never be any ânouveauâ notes in these reds.
Sorry for another post⊠I notice 2 day shipping on this offer and offers going forward this summer. And it appears still at $12 shipping/case. Is that correct? Nice touch.
And may I ask for shipping window confirmation?
@ctmariner The syrah will have a very long life and begin to peak in 2-3 more years. The Grenache gives more immediate âyumâ now. Overall 2018 is a more approachable, earlier drinking vintage for us.
@stolpmanvino Iâm a transplant. There are records with Lockheed Space Ops that I was officially transferred to Lompoc (Vandenberg) in the mid eighties- only spent two weeks there.
@stolpmanvino Thanks for stopping by! Iâm new to your operation and always greatly intrigued by the differences in producers. Your wines seem to have very little manipulation, very short elevage, drink well when young but apparently also improve with age. How did you master such alchemy? It looks to me like you produce quite a bit of Syrah (5,000+ cases) from a single vineyard, which makes me wonder, how big is the Stolpman vineyard? Iâd guess it would have to be at least 50 acres, which feels big to me but perhaps Iâm just uninformed.
@KitMarlot Iâve been up there - itâs a very nice space. Great little canyon right by Los Olivos. I think there are only 2 or 3 vineyards in Ballard Canyon. Curious to hear more from Stolpman.
We have 173 acres under vine on Limestone hills. While that is not tiny - vines are only touched by hand. We only employ full time, year-round in the vineyard and our 28 workers have their own wine - La Cuadrilla - from which they receive the profits. Our secret is to refrain from irrigation- forcing vines to root 30-40 feet into our limestone- to produce naturally concentrated, intense, and complex fruit. Then in the winery we can afford to be extremely gentle as we dont need to extract further power/tannin/richness from the dense undiluted juice. The natural balance and robust flavor of the fruit allows for longterm aging - the gentle wienmaking allows for early enjoynent. Everything is hands â from organic farming, native yeasts, and neutral wood. These 2 wines even happen to be free-run only - as we give the press wine to the crew for their profit-sharing cuvee.
@KitMarlot@klezman There are over a dozen vineyards up there and only one winery you can actually a visit tasting room at there - Rusack. There are plenty of other vineyards along the canyon, including Larner, Beckmenâs Purrisima Mountain Vineyard, Jonata, Kimsey, Tierra Alta and a few others . . .
@KitMarlot@tercerowines Ah, youâre right Larry. It was Rusack, and it was on that Berserkerfest weekend a few years ago that was oh so amazing (and my first introduction to Flannery).
@merrybill Larry also focuses on âRhoneâ varietals in Santa Barbara County so we share a lot of common ground. His Ballard Canyon source is Larner - a great, highly respected vineyard on sandy clay - much different profile than our Limestone outcropping on the northside of Ballard Canyon.
@merrybill These are simply awesome wines. The Stolpman family and all who work for them as are committed to producing âpureâ reflections of their varieties as any other winery in California and beyond. My wines are certainly âdifferentâ from theirs, as mentioned above. The soil type at Larner is different (100% sand); the microclimate is different (Larner suits at a lower elevation and is more affected by the marine influence from the Santa Ynez River, causing it to have lower temperatures most days than the Stolpman Vineyard north of it); and our fermentation and elevage philosophies are different as well - they tend to age their wines for shorter periods of time than I do; we both do lots of whole cluster fermentation, but I believe I am âmore aggressiveâ, breaking more clusters leading to less of the âcarbonicâ qualities that some of their wines show.
Bottom line - these wines are more than worth it, and these prices are crazy good. Buy with confidence - and certainly buy more than you might think youâll need . . . you wonât be sorry.
Sonofa⊠I canât remember the last time WineDavid got me to reach for my credit card. Seriously, I really canât. But Stolpman⊠couldnât resist. Canât wait to try these.
@tercerowines Speaking of being a great ambassador for Stolpman, give yourself a pat on the back for pushing me over the edgeâŠ
/giphy drowsy-loyal-field
@winedavid49 So interesting â for the first time since last summer, I just received an order confirmation email! We never did figure out why they stopped or how to start them again, but I always suspected it was related to the start of 2019 summer shipping. And now with this yearâs first summer order, theyâre back. Coincidence? Who knows, but Iâll take it!
@calvinko805@klezman@rjquillin@Winedavid49 hammered as in too many problems, hammered as meaning on the sauce, or hammered because too many problems got them on the sauce!?
Just opened my first bottle, for Grenache day. Noticed a bit of fizziness to my surprise. Only experience this once before (as advertised in a woot offer). Am I alone? Flawed? Concerns?
@drewballa I noticed this on the two bottles of grenache Iâve opened (havenât touched the syrah yet). It went away with some time, so Iâm planning to decant next time I open one. Probably just the result of a young wine that wasnât racked much to knock off the CO2 left behind by fermentation. Any comment @stolpmanvino?
Just before writing this I took a look in the box. I was surprised to see a ring of dried wine on the Styro under one of the bottles of Syrah. The cork was fine, but there was a chip in the bottom of the bottle. Funny that only about a teaspoon leaked, but no more than that. Iâve never seen that before.
@InFrom Yeah, one of my grenache bottles leaked slightly, also about a teaspoon, and left a ring on the styro. Pretty weird that it was only 1 bottle and weirder still, I think, that it was a shared experience.
@chipgreen@drewballa@InFrom@KitMarlot@stolpmanvino@Winedavid49
Popped a cork on the Grenache last night. A bit warm to start out, not in the cellar, just the box, and it certainly had a bit of tongue tingle, donât think it was fizz, but it diminished after it cooled off in the glass in the fridge. Plenty left for days 2, 3, âŠ
@drewballa@KingKoopa Iâm beginning to believe this even though Iâm the one that authorized the offer. What I tasted did not have those bad characteristics. But clearly many have tasted it and many were bad. Iâm sorry it happened.
@drewballa@KingKoopa@Winedavid49 I had the same showing with the Grenache - sharp tingle on the tongue that remained until night 2. On night 2 the taste was flat and bland. No bright red cherries I expect from Grenache and disappointing. Both bottles were the same. The first bottle of Syrah had the same fizz/tingle but after a few hours settled into a nice and enjoyable Syrah.
2018 Stolpman Estate Syrah, Ballard Canyon
Tasting Notes
Winemaking/Vintage Notes
Vintage
Winemaking
Specs
2018 Stolpman Estate Grenache, Ballard Canyon
Tasting Notes
Winemakeing/Vintage Notes
Vintage
Winemaking
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$409.70 a Case (including shipping) at Stolpman Estate for 6x 2018 Stolpman Estate Grenache & 6x 2018 Stolpman Estate Syrah
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Jun 25 - Monday, Jun 29
Stolpman Estate Mixed Reds
6 bottles for $109.99 $18.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $199.99 $16.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Syrah
2018 Grenache
Nice offer! molarchae had a great coupon, so weâre in for a sixer.
Tempted. Any rats?
Rooting for this one.
@Winedavid49 thank you!
@Winedavid49 what a coup!
Why does Stolpman sound familiar?
@trifecta Founded in 1990 - we originally only sold our grapes to other wineries - Sine Qua Non, Ojai, Qupe - and today we still sell a bit of fruit to Dargonette, Jaffurs, Whitcraft, Story of Soil, Jacob Toft, Kunin, Levo and a few other friends >> So even if you havenât tried our wines perhaps you have tried our terroir in the hands of another winemaker
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Stolpman Estate Mixed Reds - $20 = 9.08%
Just picked up more of your Roussanne this weekend, love this wine. And on that, Iâm in for a 6 pack
@KingKoopa thank you for the support!
Thank you Alice, and the crew at Casemates. Once again we are honored to Lab Rat for your elucidation.
tl;drâŠgo to the Summary.
I expected a small box, and was pleasantly surprised to find a two-compartment corrugated container. What joy! I immediately scored the plastic tape and pulled out two bottles of red wine. Again overwhelming joy! I recognized the Stolpman name on the bottles and found that one was an Estate Syrah, and the other an Estate Grenache. Both of which I anticipated to be fabulous.
Time to get to work. We have but a short weekend to taste these wines for you. A task that we take very seriously.
First Pop-n-Pour the Grenache. I expect it to be lighter, so we will taste it first. I poured about four ounces into each of two Casemates glasses and gave one to SWMBO. As expected, the color is a semi-translucent dark magenta. I took off my spectacles to get my nose deep into the glass, and got a medicinal alcohol whiffâŠbut along with that was an etherial smell of fruit, raspberry maybe, but what I would expect to smell from Grenache. She smelled alcohol and some âfunkâ. We swirled and almost immediately the alcohol and funk went away and itâs now smooth, âalmost creamy, port-like mouth feelâ. The legs are like those of a chubby baby. Thereâs not a lot of fruit, itâs well-integrated, very Grenache-like, with a finish that is somewhat astringent. More later.
Now, while the portabella veggie burgers cook, and after a few giant Sicilian green olives, letâs Pop-n-Pour the Syrah. Though both wines state 14.5% alcohol, the Syrah doesnât immediately scream âAlcoholâ. It is beautifully dark, opaque with a ruby rim, and smells rich with dark fruits, but almost austere. SWMBO gets Band-Aids which is code for Old-World, certainly nothing like an over-extracted Australian Shiraz. I like itâŠvery classy and put together well beyond its years.
A quick check of cellartrackerâŠandâŠnot a lot of information. It did remind me that neither of these wines was overly acidic or overly oaked, and the Syrah has a distinct GSM-like finish.
More later.
Later, watching TV, Grenache first. The flavor has really come out, more acid, more tannins. Still, thereâs that delicious Grenache flavorâŠetherial, elevated red fruits. Good mouthfeel, spicy with a strong finish. I think this Grenache would work well with spicy food, maybe Thai or Mexican even. Tasty. Weâll try it again tomorrow.
The Syrah is mellower, âvery old-worldâ. I get that GSM flavor which I think some describe as âmeatyâ. The finish lasts forever, with a kind of floral aftertaste.
The next night, after corking and sitting on the counter overnight, with baby back ribs and a spicy BBQ sauce. The Grenache was very smooth and very delicious, nice high-toned fruits and perfect acidity. This stuff was made to last. The Syrah, on the other hand, lost most of its fruit and was rather harsh. Loved the Grenache, the Syrah, not so much.
Summary: These wines are true to their Rhone roots. The Grenache is delicious after a few minutes of air, and is built to last @14.5% alcohol and little oak. $34 at the winery, would be a steal at $20. The Syrah is somewhat austere in an old-world sort of way, and did not fare well on day 2. If you like it old-world you will be happy with the SyrahâŠnot anything like an Australian Shiraz.
@FritzCat thank you for working so hard over the weekend
Great report. I like a good Grenache.
So there I was last Thursday afternoon, minding my own business and cleaning a bathroom exhaust fan of dust (and a possible, but thankfully dead, brown recluse spider) when I got a notification on my phone. I saw that it came from UPS, which was unexpected (I had an outboard motor starter arriving later that day, but had already received the notification for it). I then saw that it was a shipment from Wine Country Connect, which made me guess that it might be a draft notice for labrat duty (since there was no way that the Vigo Cellars case I had ordered that morning would already be due for delivery). Looking further, I saw that the Reference Number was STOLPMANGREN+Syrah so I browsed on over to the Stolpman Vineyards website to see if they had a Grenache/Syrah blend, but I only found Grenache and (numerous) Syrah. I then noticed the shipping weight of 7.00 LBS and deduced that I was receiving two bottles (oh joy!). They arrived at 5:12pm on Friday after a long ride in the back of the truck in mid-70s weather. I checked the internal temperature of the package and it was 79 degrees F (26.1 for those of the C mindset), then pulled out the bottles to find 2018 Estate Grenache and Syrah. I found one open slot in my wine refrigerator, and removed the bottle of 1999 Wellington Estate Zinfandel next to it (which we drank that night) to make a space for the second bottle.
(The lake is much less visible when the leaves are on the trees, but it runs across the center of the image.)
I decided to cook some chicken on the grill on Saturday (it was a beautiful day here in rural mid-Missouri) to have the Syrah. I opened the wine several hours before dinnertime, as I thought it could use some time to breathe, being a fairly recent vintage and the Stolpman website notes ââŠit will only begin to peak in 3-4 more yearsâ (which made me a bit sad to have to open it this year, but duty calls). When I pulled the Syrah out of my cooler it was at about 59 degrees. Both bottles are absent of any âfoilâ or wax over the corks (an esthetic minimalism). The natural cork showed minimal staining. I poured an inital small taste into a glasses for my wife and I.
The color to me was a deep garnet, free of any sediment. A swirl showed some slow forming wide legs. The initial sniff was some herbal qualities and darker fruit, and the initial taste having some alcohol heat, dark fruit (such as dark cherry), spice, herbal, a slight floral character, and perhaps a bit of earthiness. Each time I tasted I was reminded of a Gamay, but with more depth and spice. I put the bottle into a cool water bath to keep the temperature below 60 for the next several hours (the room temperature was 75). I prepared boneless chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic, and a light dusting of seasoning salt and powdered chipotle (a favorite seasoning of mine, but I intentionally held back on it this time). I heated up the grill (Iâm a die-hard charcoal fan) and had some apple and cherry wood chips in the smoker box. Once things were hot and smoking I put the chicken on the grill, and after turning gave it a quick application of some BBQ sauce and allowed it to carmelize as it was turned. We also had some leftover brats that I had grilled a few nights ago, so I reheated one of them to give a different comparison. My wife prepared tossed salad and some pan-grilled asparagus. Once things were ready we settled in to a beautiful view for our dinner.
The heat of the Syrah had definitely subsided, and it provided a nice accompanyment to the meal. The brat had a much spicier flavor profile, which brought out more of a fruitiness in the wine (my wife said she liked the brat better with the wine than the chicken, and I found both to be enjoyable). The Syrah had a nice balance of flavors and acidity. Since I avoid as much carbohydrates as possible (wine doesnât have any carbs, does it?), I didnât have any chocolate to nibble on, but we did have some cocoa dusted almonds on hand so after dinner I tried a few of them along with the wine. The flavor went well, and I seemed to sense a more chocolatey flavor in the wine after the almonds. I forced myself to save a final glass for the next day and recorked the bottle and put if back in the wine fridge.
On the second day, I found the Syrah to be much more âSyrah-likeâ (the Gamay comparison seems to have faded). Spiciness, and yet seemed smoother that on the first day. Again very enjoyable.
I think this Syrah would appeal to those who like reds that are toward the medium end of the spectrum. After the first day I was thinking that it could even to Pinot Noir fans (although definitely toward the deeper flavored PN), but this was less so on the second day as the Syrah character became more pronounced.
For the Grenache I had hoped on Sunday to parallel the steps I had taken with the Syrah; however, I ended up distracted in the early afternoon when a friend offered to help me install the afore-mentioned outboard starter, and after that my wife and I took him out for a bit of time on the Lake of the Ozarks. We didnât get home until after 6pm, and I quickly retrieved the Grenache (and leftover Syrah) from the wine fridge. I poured some initial tastings of the Grenache.
It had a slightly lighter color than the Syrah, fresh fruitiness on the nose, quick-forming long thin legs on the glass. I set out getting ready for dinner (with our somewhat-limited options, I decided on cedar-planked salmon on the grill). My wife declared the Grenache to be more enjoyable than the Syrah â she had emptied her initial pour fairly quickly during dinner preparations, which made me think about the winemakerâs description of this being a âbaby-making wineâ (although if this were to happen for us it would be news of biblical proportions). The spices on the cedar-planked salmon that I grilled were a bit too much for the Grenache, but it had enjoyable bright red fruit (but not a fruit bomb) and smoothness that easily masked the stated 14.5% alcohol. I again restrained us to save a glass for the next day. I felt a bit saddened that this session had been rather rushed.
Both of these wines were delicous. I wouldnât hesitate to recommend them. The Casemates bottle price seems close to the $20 point that I thought they would come in at.
@Mark_L Nice notes. I havenât had a ton of Stolpman wines but those Iâve had over the years have always been enjoyable. Looks like a nice deal.
(and looks like youâre settling in at the new digs!)
@Mark_L Thank you for the nice notes!
@Mark_L Thank you for the fantastic report and glad that B.Recluse didnât interfere.
@kaolis @Mark_L these prices are a good reason to jump in! Especially with how good the 2018 vintage was for us.
Finished of the Grenache tonight. Not quite as fresh as yesterday (yesterday was better), but still good.
Thank you to Alice and Casemates for getting me back into the Labrat queue after the recent mis-shipment of the Scott Harvey Zin to my old address. Iâm glad to know that upcoming shipments should arrive at my correct address.
And from Wine Enthusiast:
91 Points Stolpman 2018 Grenache (Ballard Canyon)
Crunchy red currant, carnations, rose petals and wet slate hint at some carbonic fermentation on the nose of this bottling. The palate falls in line as well, with refreshing red-fruit and red-rose-petal flavors that are crisp and zippy. MK 5/1/20
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/stolpman-2018-grenache-ballard-canyon/
92 Points Stolpman 2018 Estate Grown Syrah (Ballard Canyon)
Clean aromas of boysenberry, wet stone and sifted ash show on the lively nose of this bottling. The palate is intensely grippy with earthy tension, combining freshly smashed berry flavors with aromatic rosewater flavors and just a hint of game. MK 5/1/20
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/stolpman-2018-estate-grown-syrah-ballard-canyon/
fwiw
@kaolis I canât say that I identified âcarnations and rose petalsâ (perhaps this was the floral note I mentioned) or âaromatic rosewater flavorsâ (I either need a more refined palate or an expanded vocabulary, or both
) but I can appreciate the way âMKâ described the wines.
@kaolis @Mark_L @stolpmanvino
Great winery participation, thanks!
Wondering if you could comment
Any idea where that may have come from?
@kaolis @Mark_L @rjquillin there is a touch of whole grape âcarbonicâ fermentation in most of our reds due to #1 the gente treatment of fermentation in which some grapes will remain intact and ferment whole and #2 because we use significant % of whole-cluster fermentation the rachis and stem structure protect some grapes from being crushed as we foot trod and circulate the fermenting tank. In this case, the fresh fruit purity when tasted upon release is probably referred to as âcarbonic fermentationâ - because we donât add yeaststhere will never be any ânouveauâ notes in these reds.
Sorry for another post⊠I notice 2 day shipping on this offer and offers going forward this summer. And it appears still at $12 shipping/case. Is that correct? Nice touch.
And may I ask for shipping window confirmation?
What is the drinking window on these wines? Storage says pass, head says a 6 pack and heart says a case! What to do - hmmmm - probably a 6 packâŠ
/giphy bent-bald-bedroom
@ctmariner The syrah will have a very long life and begin to peak in 2-3 more years. The Grenache gives more immediate âyumâ now. Overall 2018 is a more approachable, earlier drinking vintage for us.
@stolpmanvino Thanks for the feedback - will pop open a Grenache on receipt!
No brainer!
/giphy disgusted-disgusting-worm
/giphy tart-hurt-flavor
Case coming to NE ohio
@pjmartin Founder Tom Stolpman grew up in Findlay, Ohio.
@stolpmanvino Iâm a transplant. There are records with Lockheed Space Ops that I was officially transferred to Lompoc (Vandenberg) in the mid eighties- only spent two weeks there.
@pjmartin my grandfather transferred from Ohio out to the El Segundo aerospace campuses in 1968 - when my dad was 17.
@stolpmanvino Thanks for stopping by! Iâm new to your operation and always greatly intrigued by the differences in producers. Your wines seem to have very little manipulation, very short elevage, drink well when young but apparently also improve with age. How did you master such alchemy? It looks to me like you produce quite a bit of Syrah (5,000+ cases) from a single vineyard, which makes me wonder, how big is the Stolpman vineyard? Iâd guess it would have to be at least 50 acres, which feels big to me but perhaps Iâm just uninformed.
@KitMarlot Iâve been up there - itâs a very nice space. Great little canyon right by Los Olivos. I think there are only 2 or 3 vineyards in Ballard Canyon. Curious to hear more from Stolpman.
@KitMarlot
We have 173 acres under vine on Limestone hills. While that is not tiny - vines are only touched by hand. We only employ full time, year-round in the vineyard and our 28 workers have their own wine - La Cuadrilla - from which they receive the profits. Our secret is to refrain from irrigation- forcing vines to root 30-40 feet into our limestone- to produce naturally concentrated, intense, and complex fruit. Then in the winery we can afford to be extremely gentle as we dont need to extract further power/tannin/richness from the dense undiluted juice. The natural balance and robust flavor of the fruit allows for longterm aging - the gentle wienmaking allows for early enjoynent. Everything is hands â from organic farming, native yeasts, and neutral wood. These 2 wines even happen to be free-run only - as we give the press wine to the crew for their profit-sharing cuvee.
@stolpmanvino Interesting about the profit-sharing cuvee. How do they sell it?
@pjmartin we sell it for them. It is available via our website and also all over the world. La Cuadrilla âthe crewâ red blend.
@stolpmanvino SWMBO relented, in for a case. Thanks for your participation (and of course the hard vineyard work too!)
/giphy thematic-mentionable-volleyball
@KitMarlot @klezman There are over a dozen vineyards up there and only one winery you can actually a visit tasting room at there - Rusack. There are plenty of other vineyards along the canyon, including Larner, Beckmenâs Purrisima Mountain Vineyard, Jonata, Kimsey, Tierra Alta and a few others . . .
@KitMarlot @tercerowines Ah, youâre right Larry. It was Rusack, and it was on that Berserkerfest weekend a few years ago that was oh so amazing (and my first introduction to Flannery).
How would you compare your wines to Terceroâs, which also gets fruit from Ballard Canyon?
@merrybill Larry also focuses on âRhoneâ varietals in Santa Barbara County so we share a lot of common ground. His Ballard Canyon source is Larner - a great, highly respected vineyard on sandy clay - much different profile than our Limestone outcropping on the northside of Ballard Canyon.
@merrybill These are simply awesome wines. The Stolpman family and all who work for them as are committed to producing âpureâ reflections of their varieties as any other winery in California and beyond. My wines are certainly âdifferentâ from theirs, as mentioned above. The soil type at Larner is different (100% sand); the microclimate is different (Larner suits at a lower elevation and is more affected by the marine influence from the Santa Ynez River, causing it to have lower temperatures most days than the Stolpman Vineyard north of it); and our fermentation and elevage philosophies are different as well - they tend to age their wines for shorter periods of time than I do; we both do lots of whole cluster fermentation, but I believe I am âmore aggressiveâ, breaking more clusters leading to less of the âcarbonicâ qualities that some of their wines show.
Bottom line - these wines are more than worth it, and these prices are crazy good. Buy with confidence - and certainly buy more than you might think youâll need . . . you wonât be sorry.
Cheers!
FOOLS! TOOLS! JEWELS! AWESOME!
Sonofa⊠I canât remember the last time WineDavid got me to reach for my credit card. Seriously, I really canât. But Stolpman⊠couldnât resist. Canât wait to try these.
@neilfindswine hey now!
youâre an all-star
@neilfindswine go Neil go!!!
@Winedavid49 I mean, I think I might have bought you a coffee one timeâŠ
We got to meet Pete at a local wine shop event and had a great time sampling their wines. Great deal for some delicious wine!
@swizzel Nice to âmeetâ you again!
@swizzel he really is a great ambassador, not only for Stolpman but for our entire wine region as well . . .
@tercerowines Speaking of being a great ambassador for Stolpman, give yourself a pat on the back for pushing me over the edgeâŠ
/giphy drowsy-loyal-field
We really, really like her!
@winedavid49 So interesting â for the first time since last summer, I just received an order confirmation email! We never did figure out why they stopped or how to start them again, but I always suspected it was related to the start of 2019 summer shipping. And now with this yearâs first summer order, theyâre back. Coincidence? Who knows, but Iâll take it!
@InFrom @tercerowines +1
/giphy misted-unadvised-almond
Did anyone got these arrived very warm? I opened one and it tasted oxidized
@calvinko805 Yes, ours arrived warm and one was leaking. Waiting on @WineDavid49 and team to answer molarchaeâs email query.
@klezman @Winedavid49 who did you contact? I email customers service their responses was slower than snail
@calvinko805 @klezman @Winedavid49
CS has been pretty hammered lately.
Suggest you ping them with a reminder.
@calvinko805 @klezman @rjquillin @Winedavid49 hammered as in too many problems, hammered as meaning on the sauce, or hammered because too many problems got them on the sauce!?
@calvinko805 @klezman @Winedavid49 same, same, same.
Just opened my first bottle, for Grenache day. Noticed a bit of fizziness to my surprise. Only experience this once before (as advertised in a woot offer). Am I alone? Flawed? Concerns?
@drewballa I donât recall any fizziness when I ratted this.
@drewballa I noticed this on the two bottles of grenache Iâve opened (havenât touched the syrah yet). It went away with some time, so Iâm planning to decant next time I open one. Probably just the result of a young wine that wasnât racked much to knock off the CO2 left behind by fermentation. Any comment @stolpmanvino?
@drewballa @KitMarlot @stolpmanvino
That is indicative of a secondary fermentation taking place after bottling.
@chipgreen @drewballa @KitMarlot @stolpmanvino @Winedavid49 I noticed a touch of fizz with the one I opened after arrival, but it did fade off before long.
Just before writing this I took a look in the box. I was surprised to see a ring of dried wine on the Styro under one of the bottles of Syrah. The cork was fine, but there was a chip in the bottom of the bottle. Funny that only about a teaspoon leaked, but no more than that. Iâve never seen that before.
@InFrom Yeah, one of my grenache bottles leaked slightly, also about a teaspoon, and left a ring on the styro. Pretty weird that it was only 1 bottle and weirder still, I think, that it was a shared experience.
@KitMarlot Weird is the word! Could you see any damage to the bottom of the bottle?
@chipgreen @drewballa @InFrom @KitMarlot @stolpmanvino @Winedavid49
Popped a cork on the Grenache last night. A bit warm to start out, not in the cellar, just the box, and it certainly had a bit of tongue tingle, donât think it was fizz, but it diminished after it cooled off in the glass in the fridge. Plenty left for days 2, 3, âŠ
@drewballa So do folks think that this lot is flawed, and just dumped on casemates?
@drewballa @KingKoopa Iâm beginning to believe this even though Iâm the one that authorized the offer. What I tasted did not have those bad characteristics. But clearly many have tasted it and many were bad. Iâm sorry it happened.
@drewballa @Winedavid49 Love me some Stolpman, so it was worth the gamble.
@drewballa @KingKoopa @Winedavid49 I had the same showing with the Grenache - sharp tingle on the tongue that remained until night 2. On night 2 the taste was flat and bland. No bright red cherries I expect from Grenache and disappointing. Both bottles were the same. The first bottle of Syrah had the same fizz/tingle but after a few hours settled into a nice and enjoyable Syrah.