Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Syrah 2019 | Seductive Dark-Berry Concentration
Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Syrah 2019 presents a purple-black center with violet tones in the staining tears. An explosive, spicy mélange of wild plums, cracked pepper, blueberry, black cherry, and rose petal on the nose. All the components are fresh and alive, showing themselves with fantastic detail—smoked meat, anise seed, olive brine, wildflower, smoked herbs, and balsamic soaked berries.
Rich on the palate, but not dense, this wine is truly authentic to its origins and its intrinsic DNA. Drink now – 2032. Don’t miss this Stolpman Syrah from Winemaker Sashi Moorman paired with Vineyard Manager Ruben Solorzano.
Ruben Solorzano — Wine Enthusiast’s “grape whisperer”
Last August, Robert Parker’s longtime California reviewer, Jeb Dunnuck, called the Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Syrah 2017 “ripe, sexy and polished. Among “the best wines to date from Stolpman Vineyards, it’s no surprise, given the talent behind this bottle.
The tag team of consulting winemaker Sashi Moorman (Ojai, Domaine de la Cote, and Evening Lands) and vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano — Wine Enthusiast’s “grape whisperer” — crafted a terrifically ripe, and beautifully compact expression of Stolpman Syrah. While the explosive fruit and seductive texture suggest a much higher price point.
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In 2019, Wine Enthusiast’s best-ever vintage for Central Coast Syrah, Stolpman’s vineyards enjoyed a perfectly stable growing season with none of the heat spikes that can throw off a wine’s balance. As a result, slow, steady ripening and acid development yielded Syrah with fruit, freshness, and plenty of spicy depth.
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Ballard Canyon remains home to many of California’s best Rhône-styled wines, and Solorzano is the AVA’s hardest working man. He’s also a night owl. Hence taking advantage of Santa Barbara’s chilly nights to harvest nocturnally preserving the berries’ scintillating acid vibrancy. Equipped with a headlamp and a smile, he presides over dry-farmed, head-pruned vines. Furthermore, calls to mind the northern Rhône slopes of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage.
Winemaker Sashi Moorman | Stolpman Syrah
Solorzano and Moorman played the 2016 vintage in Ballard Canyon perfectly. Any California winemaker will tell you that the defining event of the vintage was a severe heat spike in late September. While those who harvested after had to contend with accumulated sugars and lower acids. Hence, those who picked before were treated to BB-sized berries of exquisite brightness and a suave density guaranteeing excellent cellaring potential.
Most noteworthy, Solorzano and Moorman were among the early birds. Hence, the Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Syrah 2016 is a powerful yet nuanced expression of the Central Coast; one that can be enjoyed now or for years to come.
