Light-hued, cool-climate Grenache has proven itself as one of the most compelling success stories out of Santa Barbara County. When we nail the harvest date, the Grenache varietal naturally gives a ripe, fleshy red-fruit profile while retaining bright verve and balance. Many people come to Santa Barbara County in pursuit of “Big Cali Pinot Noir”. To achieve this denser, riper profile, winemakers must leave the Pinot hanging on the vine. The grapes raisin, creating a jammy, dried wine profile. Meanwhile, Grenache wants to give us the richer profile while the grapes are still taut and energetic.
In the winery, we extract gently for finer tannin and a lighter colored red wine, perfect for summertime grilling. Healthy late-season rains pushed back bud-break and the growing season by 3-4 weeks. We escaped the summer without any extreme heat events that would have accelerated ripening. Slow, even sugar accumulation and phenolic ripening marched forward through October, and all lots were harvested mid-month.
Pretty shade of ruby red with transparency. Wallop of red fruit running the spectrum of yumminess from cherry blossom to fresh strawberry, all the way to compote. Toast and a quiet, already integrated, oak backbone frame the wine, while not taming the deliciousness quotient. The oak gives the wave of red fruit a kiss of fresh crispness while elongating the continuum into further ripeness. With air, misty menthol notes arise alongside the beautiful world of red. We are excited to pair this wine with fresh fish, and the texture will work in tandem with a frothy, creamy-but-light finishing sauce.
Specs
Varietal Blend: 90% Grenache, 10% Syrah
Region: Santa Barbara County
Components: CCOF Organic sites within Santa Barbara County
Harvest Date: Mid-October
Vinification: 20% whole cluster
Vatting/Fermentation: Open Top Stainless Steel
Cooperage & Elevage: 80% Neutral 20% New French Oak
Alcohol: 14%
1400 cases produced
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x 2023 Stolpman Grenache, Santa Barbara County Case:
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 Santa Barbara’s 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 organic farming, dry farming, & sustainable employment. In the winery, we prefer native fermentation & minimal manipulation.
Through the hard work of La Cuadrilla and the magic of our ranch, we believe that we can create vibrant, site-specific wines, with a focus unique to Ballard Canyon AVA, California.
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Stolpman Grenache - $73 = 24.33%
Me likes Stolpman, buy a smattering here and there, mostly syrah…but who gives a cr*p what I like…
Vinous:
93 points. The 2023 Grenache is a lifted, floral-inflected red with gentle notes of ripe cherry, raspberry and white pepper that gain traction with air. Sensual and full of character, yet light on its feet, the 2023 is all charm. Drink 2025-2032 Billy Norris 8/25
Stolpman Vineyards
2023 Grenache
Santa Barbara County 14% ALC
Thanks to Casemates for the opportunity to LabRat once more! After a bit of delay and run around with UPS, the bottle of Stolpman Vineyards Grenache finally showed up a little before 6:00 on Friday evening. No time to give it a rest, we got down to business!
I saw the Grenache label and immediately started thinking yum, Rhone valley style wine, but from California. When I picked up the bottle, however, the first thing I noticed was that this was not a deep colored French-style wine. This Grenache is super light colored, thin looking cherry juice and completely translucent. That gave us a little pause, but we proceeded to pull the cork.
This isn’t a big nose wine, but there is a bit of strawberry and maybe ginger? Initial taste was surprisingly flavorful. Light red fruits – raspberries, cherry and pomegranate(?) as well as an interesting peppery spice. Detectable oak and all the flavors were very nicely balanced. A surprisingly deceptive bottle of wine!.
Mouthfeel was also good, though you could tell it was not a bold wine. Acidity was nice and the tannins were detectable, though slight. Not a lot of body or lingering taste, but overall everything worked together.
We figured Casemates would probably be sending a red wine since that is 90+ percent of what we buy, so we had bought a steak for the grill and made a creamy mushroom poivre sauce, as well as rosemary steak fries and tomato/greens/sundried tomato and calamata salad. Everything was superb! This thin looking wine certainly acted bigger and bolder than one might have guessed and with the meal it was excellent.
@tercerowines
I wonder if Casemates could provide sales metrics to vendors, that would highlight the difference in sales for offers with winery participation vs. those without.
Not only does winery participation help drive sales, it increases interest and participation in the offer discussion.
@chipgreen@tercerowines I looked back through past Stolpman offerings here, and there was only one comment from the vineyard (Roussanne on 3/13/21), but Larry has been active in most of the offering discussioins.
When received this bottle, I was extremely curious. WInes from Santa Barbara County are not typically in my preferred flavor profile. But of course, I opened and tasted with an clear mind of perhaps a new beginning on wines from this region.
Unfortunately, still not my type of wine. It’s a red, but not a deep red. It’s more clear like a grenache would be.
For me, it is tart and leans on the bitter side. Has a dry feeling to it.
Sorry. not for me.
2023 Stolpman Grenache, Santa Barbara County
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$388.80/Case for 12x 2023 Stolpman Grenache, Santa Barbara County at Stolpman Vineyards
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 10 - Wednesday, Nov 12
2023 Stolpman Grenache
3 bottles for $74.99 $25/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $226.99 $18.92/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2023 Stolpman Grenache - $73 = 24.33%
Note that winery price comparison of $777.60 based on 24 bottles not 12!
@ctmariner Oof, sorry about that!
We’ve got the comp fixed, now. Thanks for the heads up.
Me likes Stolpman, buy a smattering here and there, mostly syrah…but who gives a cr*p what I like…
Vinous:
93 points. The 2023 Grenache is a lifted, floral-inflected red with gentle notes of ripe cherry, raspberry and white pepper that gain traction with air. Sensual and full of character, yet light on its feet, the 2023 is all charm. Drink 2025-2032 Billy Norris 8/25
fwiw
@kaolis Have always been a big fan of Stolpman
Stolpman Vineyards
2023 Grenache
Santa Barbara County 14% ALC
Thanks to Casemates for the opportunity to LabRat once more! After a bit of delay and run around with UPS, the bottle of Stolpman Vineyards Grenache finally showed up a little before 6:00 on Friday evening. No time to give it a rest, we got down to business!
I saw the Grenache label and immediately started thinking yum, Rhone valley style wine, but from California. When I picked up the bottle, however, the first thing I noticed was that this was not a deep colored French-style wine. This Grenache is super light colored, thin looking cherry juice and completely translucent. That gave us a little pause, but we proceeded to pull the cork.
This isn’t a big nose wine, but there is a bit of strawberry and maybe ginger? Initial taste was surprisingly flavorful. Light red fruits – raspberries, cherry and pomegranate(?) as well as an interesting peppery spice. Detectable oak and all the flavors were very nicely balanced. A surprisingly deceptive bottle of wine!.
Mouthfeel was also good, though you could tell it was not a bold wine. Acidity was nice and the tannins were detectable, though slight. Not a lot of body or lingering taste, but overall everything worked together.
We figured Casemates would probably be sending a red wine since that is 90+ percent of what we buy, so we had bought a steak for the grill and made a creamy mushroom poivre sauce, as well as rosemary steak fries and tomato/greens/sundried tomato and calamata salad. Everything was superb! This thin looking wine certainly acted bigger and bolder than one might have guessed and with the meal it was excellent.
Low retail is $30, so $25 here isn’t much of a deal. Winery retail is $36, not $75.
I know this is a long shot but would anyone know how this compares to Winesmith Grenache? Thanks.
Where is the Winery? I love these guys but they need to be on here. Period!
Crickets for any more comments?
@tercerowines
I wonder if Casemates could provide sales metrics to vendors, that would highlight the difference in sales for offers with winery participation vs. those without.
Not only does winery participation help drive sales, it increases interest and participation in the offer discussion.
@chipgreen @tercerowines I looked back through past Stolpman offerings here, and there was only one comment from the vineyard (Roussanne on 3/13/21), but Larry has been active in most of the offering discussioins.
(as per the write-up) Brits boil liquid bears now?
Stolpman Vineyards
2023 Grenache
When received this bottle, I was extremely curious. WInes from Santa Barbara County are not typically in my preferred flavor profile. But of course, I opened and tasted with an clear mind of perhaps a new beginning on wines from this region.
Unfortunately, still not my type of wine. It’s a red, but not a deep red. It’s more clear like a grenache would be.
For me, it is tart and leans on the bitter side. Has a dry feeling to it.
Sorry. not for me.
@DaveSanborn I wonder how your review might have affected people’s buy/don’t buy decisions if you had posted it before the sale ended?