The 2018 Roussanne brings a strong tropical game. The perfect pairing to a palm tree-lined beach and the only beverage you need while you eat a freshly grilled whole fish with your hands. It might sound aggressive but behind the tantalizing perfectly-ripe golden pineapple there is a carnal element rare in white wines. The coating texture calls for fleshy meats, a Los Angeles sommelier even pairs this wine with Short Ribs - a departure from the more typical seafood, poultry, and Asian dishes I usually associate with Roussanne.
We feel we have a singular opportunity to make opulent, intriguing Roussanne. The varietal is extremely slow to grow and mature through the season and the conditions at Stolpman combine to allow for even, albeit late, ripening.
Our southern location near 34 degrees latitude gives the Roussanne grapes intense solar radiation to tan the fruit their namesake āRousseā or Rust color. Limestone soils and cold nights combine to maintain acidity late in the year. Low humidity and high winds keep the grapes clear of mold and for better or worse, we never get significant rain fall through harvest.
La Cuadrilla takes every possible effort in the vineyard to optimize the Roussanne fruit. Most notably, in late July we pull leaves away from the fruit to allow direct sun penetration. A month prior to forecasted harvest, every grape cluster is rotated 180 degrees to facilitate an even sun-tan.
We are extremely proud that our 19 acres of Roussanne now represent a world-wide benchmark for the varietal.
Vintage Notes
Heat spikes define vintages in Ballard Canyon. We are blessed to farm without fear of rain, rot, hail, and humidity. In 2018 the only heat wave we suffered through arrived so early, on July 7; that it didnāt 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.
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 Californiaās 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 the Ballard Canyon AVA, California.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Stolpman Vineyards Roussanne - $20 = 10.00%
@corrado his Roussanne was really good. I opened my last case of Wellington yesterday, a mixed case of '12 & '13 Zins. I must have bought 7 cases back when they were blowing out the stock. Everything he made was so good, I should have bought more
@corrado Damn! I missed that VT isnāt in the ship-to list. Usually when thereās an āeverybody gets wine!ā ship-to, VT is part of the cool-kids club. Super-bummed.
Somehow Iāve managed to retain many of both the Wellington Roussanne and Marsanne bottles from those last four years of production. I too will be sad to see them go when their time is up.
@corrado@DebRVA@knotworking@rjquillin enjoying a lovely 2009 Wellington cab as I write this. Have recently been staring at the racks and beginning to grieve the dwindling Wellington stash. Agree that we also wish we would have gotten more! Thanks to you lovely folks, we knew to get a fair amount back thenā¦but surely not enough.
The only Roussanne that I have experience with was the Sosie from here on Casemates
It was delivered right before the pandemic started, in early Jan. 2020 (at least thatās what CellarTracker tells me). Itās all gone now, and I liked it (although I would have liked a bit of acidity for brightness in it). I wonder how this compares?
92 Points. Light and fresh aromas of chamomile, lemon blossom and crushed sandstone show on the delicate nose of this bottling. The palate is acid-driven and linear in focus, offering lime-blossom and grapefruit-flesh flavors. MK 11/1/20
@calvinko805@KingKoopa Coincidentally, I opened a Syrah from that order last night. This one did not have that slight fizz that was present in the first bottle I tried, which I opened soon after delivery. That one was also flawed physically, in that it apparently had a pinhole in the base of the bottle. There was a little chip of glass missing, and a little ring of dried wine on the Styrofoam when I took the bottle out of the box. No idea to what extent that affected the wine inside.
Last nightās bottle: it was decent, not terrible, but not outstanding either. No obvious flaws.
@calvinko805@InFrom@KingKoopa for what itās worth, I bought the stolpman offering because Iām a fan of their Syrah. But Iāve had a few bottles of the Grenache from that offering and Iāve loved them. My wife loves the Stolpman Roussanne, so I canāt pass on this one either.
@InFrom@KingKoopa@stevenfarber527 I like their wines too. I used to be their member actually. I am debating if I should buy a case of this or I saw some Sanborn Santa Rita Hill Chardonnay for $7.99.
@calvinko805@KingKoopa see my comment below. We bottle grenache ubder c02 thresholds but sounds like some shipments warmed up due to the timing of the offer last summer.
@stolpmanvineyar your wines kick ass, even with some mixed bottles on the last offer this is an auto-buy from me. And the recent Jolie-Laide release already bled wine budget dry.
@calvinko805@KingKoopa@stolpmanvineyar@winedavid49 summer shipping can be troublesome no matter the care takenā¦big improvements here with summer shipping but would love to see this site offer holds. I bought a case of this offer, and admittedly do not buy tons of wine here, but this will be it until next October or so
I was very excited when I opened the box to see Stolpman Vineyards Roussanne. Peterās Roussanne and Marsanne were two of my favorite white varietals from the old site. Itās been quite a while since I finished my stash of those so I had great expectations for this wine. The Stolpman didnāt disappoint.
Iām not the best at wine descriptions, I just know what I like and dislike for the most part, so keep that in mind. The wine was a pale yellow/light gold color with a hint of pear and a little floral on the nose. I tasted peach and a subtle hint of ripe pineapple, again with some floral notes. It was full bodied, yet light and refreshing, with light to medium acidity. The finish was long with a touch of oak. I did not pair with food so I canāt comment on how it held up with anything. Very nice wine on its own.
On day 2 it started out pretty much the same as day 1. I left a glass sitting around for a few hours, as things got crazy around the house, and I felt that it lost a good portion of its flavor. Iām guessing it just got too warm. Didnāt stop me from finishing it off though.
I really enjoyed this wine. Itās nice to have something different than Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. This will be a great wine to enjoy in the pool or hopefully hanging out with friends and family again. I read about a past offering being possibly flawed. The bottle I received definitely was not flawed. Iām in for a case. Thanks Alice and WCC for sending me this lovely wine.
@rjquillin Itās been too long since I finished the Wellington so I canāt in all fairness compare. I love this varietal when well made. Maybe a bit of nostalgia going on here but I really enjoyed this wine.
I was lucky to be selected as a lab rat for this bottle. After opening the box and seeing that it was a white wine we decided to try it with Fridayās planned dinner of a vegetable stir fry and grilled sea bass.
The wine pours a pale straw yellow and neither of us picked up strong aromas from the wine on the nose. Delicate citrus, minerals, a light note of florals or herbs. At first sip we got citrus acidity, a little stone fruit - maybe apricot? After the wine was in the glass a little longer these flavors rounded out and were joined by notes of a sun warmed meadow - minerals, herbal hay, a hint of floral nectar, a tropical breeze maybe but we didnāt detect the pineapple. This paired nicely with dinner and is also a delicious sipper on itās own.
@MarkDaSpark I just wish that one hour of my time was all that Casemates has sucked away from me. Unfortunately, their suction has also reached my wallet!
@MarkDaSpark Not trying to pick things apart! I just canāt stand that everybody (a) says āsavingsā instead of āsavingā, and (b) that people will still tell me times in PST instead of PDT or just simplifying and saying PT.
@Mark_L@MarkDaSpark
That makes me feel much better, thank you!
As for answering the memeās question - I felt shitty waking up at what was 5:30am with no sun this morning!
@Mark_L@MarkDaSpark@rjquillin Yes, but you are required to let it sit until 3am on November 7, at which time you will be forced to take it back. You may then store it for about 18 weeks until it will be taken away again.
Hope everyone enjoys the Roussanne. Rich yet not over the top! Casemates did pass along that there were some reports of co2 in the grenache offer last summer (never heard of it in syrah) sounds like shipments suffered mild heat exposure which is why we are doing this offer in cold weather.
@stolpmanvineyar@terecrowines
Not understanding how heat exposure would generate C02 in an otherwise stable bottle.
Could you help explain the mechanism?
Btw. This price is insane. A lot of this wine usually ships to the UK for pairing menus but covid put an end to that! Take advantage of this one time opportunity!
Stolpman is certainly one of the top producers of this variety not only in Santa Barbara County but in the entire country. They do a great job balancing the richness the variety is known for along with some wonderful texture and acidity. A great āsubstituteā for chardonnay - and a beautiful, age-worthy wine. Purchase with confidence . . .
We drank our first bottle of this last night and it went down quickly! Served it with dinner (turkey meatballs with a light curry sauce, lemongrass and bok choy) and also thoroughly enjoyed finishing the bottle on its own. Iād say itās on par with my recollection of the Wellington Roussane. Iād buy it again, for sure!
2018 Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Roussanne, Ballard Canyon
Tasting Notes
Vintage Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$324/Case at Stolpman Estate for 12x 2018 Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Roussanne, Ballard Canyon
About The Winery
Stolpman Vineyards Roussanne Video
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, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 5 - Wednesday, Apr 7
Stolpman Vineyards Roussanne
6 bottles for $99.99 $16.66/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $179.99 $15/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Stolpman Vineyards Roussanne
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 Stolpman Vineyards Roussanne - $20 = 10.00%
I recently quaffed my last Wellington Roussanne. Rats? Please? I have a pending COVID check burning a hole in my proverbial wallet!
@corrado his Roussanne was really good. I opened my last case of Wellington yesterday, a mixed case of '12 & '13 Zins. I must have bought 7 cases back when they were blowing out the stock. Everything he made was so good, I should have bought more
@corrado @knotworking Same here! I served my last Wellington Roussane at my motherās 80th birthday dinner and it was lovely.
@corrado Damn! I missed that VT isnāt in the ship-to list. Usually when thereās an āeverybody gets wine!ā ship-to, VT is part of the cool-kids club. Super-bummed.
@corrado @DebRVA @knotworking
Somehow Iāve managed to retain many of both the Wellington Roussanne and Marsanne bottles from those last four years of production. I too will be sad to see them go when their time is up.
@corrado @DebRVA @knotworking @rjquillin enjoying a lovely 2009 Wellington cab as I write this. Have recently been staring at the racks and beginning to grieve the dwindling Wellington stash. Agree that we also wish we would have gotten more! Thanks to you lovely folks, we knew to get a fair amount back thenā¦but surely not enough.
@corrado @knotworking Case? Oh boyā¦ I feel somewhat deprived
The only Roussanne that I have experience with was the Sosie from here on Casemates
It was delivered right before the pandemic started, in early Jan. 2020 (at least thatās what CellarTracker tells me). Itās all gone now, and I liked it (although I would have liked a bit of acidity for brightness in it). I wonder how this compares?
@TimW 2018 stolpman roussanne does have more citrus brightness helped out by that 12% early-picked chardonnay addition.
@stolpmanvineyar awesome! Ordered a case.
DIPLOMAT! RAT-A-TAT! FAT CAT! AWESOME!
and the obligatory Wine Enthusiast review:
92 Points. Light and fresh aromas of chamomile, lemon blossom and crushed sandstone show on the delicate nose of this bottling. The palate is acid-driven and linear in focus, offering lime-blossom and grapefruit-flesh flavors. MK 11/1/20
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/stolpman-2018-roussanne-ballard-canyon/
fwiw
I love this wine, but the last Stolpman offering was, I think, flawed. Any thoughts or rats on this?
@KingKoopa Are you talking about the Syrah-Grenache?
@calvinko805 yes.
@KingKoopa Oh yes, I have some problem last time too. Hope winemaker chime in.
@calvinko805 @KingKoopa Coincidentally, I opened a Syrah from that order last night. This one did not have that slight fizz that was present in the first bottle I tried, which I opened soon after delivery. That one was also flawed physically, in that it apparently had a pinhole in the base of the bottle. There was a little chip of glass missing, and a little ring of dried wine on the Styrofoam when I took the bottle out of the box. No idea to what extent that affected the wine inside.
Last nightās bottle: it was decent, not terrible, but not outstanding either. No obvious flaws.
I havenāt tried the Grenache yet.
@InFrom @KingKoopa oh! I have the same experience too with the syrah.
@calvinko805 @InFrom full disclosure I buy this wine regularly at a local shop, and at this price itās well worth the risk. In for a 6-pack
@calvinko805 @InFrom @KingKoopa for what itās worth, I bought the stolpman offering because Iām a fan of their Syrah. But Iāve had a few bottles of the Grenache from that offering and Iāve loved them. My wife loves the Stolpman Roussanne, so I canāt pass on this one either.
@InFrom @KingKoopa @stevenfarber527 I like their wines too. I used to be their member actually. I am debating if I should buy a case of this or I saw some Sanborn Santa Rita Hill Chardonnay for $7.99.
@calvinko805 @KingKoopa see my comment below. We bottle grenache ubder c02 thresholds but sounds like some shipments warmed up due to the timing of the offer last summer.
@KingKoopa @stolpmanvineyar that explains itā¦ thank you.
@stolpmanvineyar your wines kick ass, even with some mixed bottles on the last offer this is an auto-buy from me. And the recent Jolie-Laide release already bled wine budget dry.
@calvinko805 @KingKoopa @stolpmanvineyar @winedavid49 summer shipping can be troublesome no matter the care takenā¦big improvements here with summer shipping but would love to see this site offer holds. I bought a case of this offer, and admittedly do not buy tons of wine here, but this will be it until next October or so
@calvinko805 @kaolis @KingKoopa @Winedavid49 to CaseMates credit they do have a great hub system of keeping wine refrigerated until it goes out regionally.
@calvinko805 @kaolis @KingKoopa @stolpmanvineyar @Winedavid49
Except when the āregionalā hub for Cleveland, OH is St. Louis, MO!
/giphy godly-zippy-office
A short video from the winery on the wine, pretty much same info as the sound bite linked on the offer page
I was very excited when I opened the box to see Stolpman Vineyards Roussanne. Peterās Roussanne and Marsanne were two of my favorite white varietals from the old site. Itās been quite a while since I finished my stash of those so I had great expectations for this wine. The Stolpman didnāt disappoint.
Iām not the best at wine descriptions, I just know what I like and dislike for the most part, so keep that in mind. The wine was a pale yellow/light gold color with a hint of pear and a little floral on the nose. I tasted peach and a subtle hint of ripe pineapple, again with some floral notes. It was full bodied, yet light and refreshing, with light to medium acidity. The finish was long with a touch of oak. I did not pair with food so I canāt comment on how it held up with anything. Very nice wine on its own.
On day 2 it started out pretty much the same as day 1. I left a glass sitting around for a few hours, as things got crazy around the house, and I felt that it lost a good portion of its flavor. Iām guessing it just got too warm. Didnāt stop me from finishing it off though.
I really enjoyed this wine. Itās nice to have something different than Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. This will be a great wine to enjoy in the pool or hopefully hanging out with friends and family again. I read about a past offering being possibly flawed. The bottle I received definitely was not flawed. Iām in for a case. Thanks Alice and WCC for sending me this lovely wine.
@suzanne17 Do I understand you are saying this is quite similar to the Wellington, or just that you like it as much?
@rjquillin Itās been too long since I finished the Wellington so I canāt in all fairness compare. I love this varietal when well made. Maybe a bit of nostalgia going on here but I really enjoyed this wine.
I was lucky to be selected as a lab rat for this bottle. After opening the box and seeing that it was a white wine we decided to try it with Fridayās planned dinner of a vegetable stir fry and grilled sea bass.
The wine pours a pale straw yellow and neither of us picked up strong aromas from the wine on the nose. Delicate citrus, minerals, a light note of florals or herbs. At first sip we got citrus acidity, a little stone fruit - maybe apricot? After the wine was in the glass a little longer these flavors rounded out and were joined by notes of a sun warmed meadow - minerals, herbal hay, a hint of floral nectar, a tropical breeze maybe but we didnāt detect the pineapple. This paired nicely with dinner and is also a delicious sipper on itās own.
What the heck, Iāll give it a try. In for six.
/giphy https://casemates.com/orders/clever-errant-quicksand
Just a reminder to Spring Forward tonight!
@MarkDaSpark just one less hour to decide to buy over the weekend!
Liked the syrah! Letās try this
/giphy faulty-impulsive-pilsner
@MarkDaSpark I just wish that one hour of my time was all that Casemates has sucked away from me. Unfortunately, their suction has also reached my wallet!
@Mark_L @MarkDaSpark So much truth!!
@MarkDaSpark You went and made/found a meme but you got one with a superfluous S on ādaylight saving timeā!
@klezman
Same one I found and have used for years ā¦ and you probably mentioned that before!
But itās Princess Bride!
@Mark_L
@klezman. Here, another meme you can pick apart!
@MarkDaSpark Not trying to pick things apart! I just canāt stand that everybody (a) says āsavingsā instead of āsavingā, and (b) that people will still tell me times in PST instead of PDT or just simplifying and saying PT.
@klezman @MarkDaSpark Here ya go:
@Mark_L @MarkDaSpark
That makes me feel much better, thank you!
As for answering the memeās question - I felt shitty waking up at what was 5:30am with no sun this morning!
@klezman @Mark_L @MarkDaSpark
Can I put that hour into my savings account?
@Mark_L @MarkDaSpark @rjquillin Yes, but you are required to let it sit until 3am on November 7, at which time you will be forced to take it back. You may then store it for about 18 weeks until it will be taken away again.
I love Roussanne, this is a must buy for me. VERY EXCITED.
/giphy parched-shaggy-station
/giphy chipper-lovely-building
Letās give it a shot!!
Iām a fan of the Ballard Canyon appelation.
/giphy incoherent-nebular-cider
/giphy lame-muddled-flock
@por944sche yup, works much better without the trailing space.
In for a case
/giphy crummy-flawless-wire
Hope everyone enjoys the Roussanne. Rich yet not over the top! Casemates did pass along that there were some reports of co2 in the grenache offer last summer (never heard of it in syrah) sounds like shipments suffered mild heat exposure which is why we are doing this offer in cold weather.
@stolpmanvineyar @terecrowines
Not understanding how heat exposure would generate C02 in an otherwise stable bottle.
Could you help explain the mechanism?
@rjquillin co2 present within the wine releases with heat becoming perceptible.
@rjquillin high altitude can also release present co2 - occasionally i notice it when tasting wine in the rockies and sierras.
@stolpmanvineyar Thanks for the insights, had no ideaā¦
@stolpmanvineyar This is a delicious Roussane, and I hope itās the beginning of many many more cases on my part.
@erisire @stolpmanvineyar thanks for the great feedback! keep 'em coming.
Btw. This price is insane. A lot of this wine usually ships to the UK for pairing menus but covid put an end to that! Take advantage of this one time opportunity!
Stolpman is certainly one of the top producers of this variety not only in Santa Barbara County but in the entire country. They do a great job balancing the richness the variety is known for along with some wonderful texture and acidity. A great āsubstituteā for chardonnay - and a beautiful, age-worthy wine. Purchase with confidence . . .
@tercerowines
Been on the fence all weekend. Thanks for the push.
@pseudogourmet98 I say it as i see it!
@tercerowines thank you for the kind words, Larry!
@pseudogourmet98
Did you see my reply about the Oval Collection?
@chipgreen
I did. Thank you!
@tercerowines, What the heck, you pushed us over. Plus, weāre down to 1 lonely Wellngton Roussane- and love it.
/giphy ghastly-meticulous-warrior
@benguin986 I guess im just an enabler
@tercerowines
Yes. Yes, you are.
/giphy colorful-inconsistent-iodine
NE OH, anyone want in?
@mrn1 @boatman72 @msten @pjmartin @mehnyblooms @marikar
In right before the buzzer!
/giphy worthy-abounding-sandwich
We drank our first bottle of this last night and it went down quickly! Served it with dinner (turkey meatballs with a light curry sauce, lemongrass and bok choy) and also thoroughly enjoyed finishing the bottle on its own. Iād say itās on par with my recollection of the Wellington Roussane. Iād buy it again, for sure!
@DebRVA Love this feedback! thanks!