Stolpman Vineyard

11 Angeli

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.  

11 'Originals' Syrah

Taken from our oldest vineyards (now in their 21st vintage), the 2011 Originals is produced mostly from the California heritage clones Estrella and Durrell.  These clones (really selections) produce beautifully rich and expressive wines.  Our vine cuttings come from some of the oldest Syrah plantings in California.  Typically lower in acidity than our other selections of Syrah, the 2011 vintage produced an Originals that has more finesse and balance than the 2010.  Aromas and flavors of freshly crushed blackberries, toasted Indian spices, cracked pepper and smoked game are held in a transparent, lifted and refreshing texture that finishes bright and persistent.  

10 Estate Grown Syrah

2010 was one of our most challenges vintages (the most challenging, being the 2011!).  A long, cool growing season over Spring and Summer was abruptly upset by a heat storm that pushed the mercury into the triple digits for consecutive days at the end of September.  It was a real test of our dry farming, and fortunately, our vine passed the test with flying colors.  We experienced some sun burn on the berries and a few scorched leaves, but the vines pulled from their very deepest roots to find water and keep themselves hydrated.  It was miraculous to behold!  Our 2010 Estate Syrah must be the most accessible Syrah we've yet produced.  We utilized very few stems in the 2010 fermentations and less new oak in the elevage.  As a result the finished wines are succulent with brilliant aromatics and silky tannins.  Although this wine will be enjoyable upon release, I am confident it will continue to give pleasure for 10+ years.  

10 Hilltops Syrah

2010 was a vintage of elegance and power.  A long growing season with warm days and cools nights ripened the estate’s Syrah slowly and preserved acidity.  Very few stems were used in 2010, due to the thick skins and large seeds.  Macerations were slighter shorter and pressing gentler to preserve the delicate fruit aromas and flavors.  Our Hilltops Syrah exemplifies the balanced qualities of the vintage.  A delicate perfume of violets, sandalwood and French plums yields to flavors of ripe black raspberries and Ethiopian coffee.  The finish is long, with firm tannins that promise a long life in the cellar.  This wine will be best after a couple of years and will provide pleasure for many years, gaining nuance and complexity with time.  

10 Villa Angeli- Syrah

The 2010 Villa Angeli will stop you in your tracks.  A high density block of syrah fermented whole cluster and with 10% Viognier.  Aromatically its off the charts.  It's mouthwatering in the finish and my guess is you will regret sharing this wine with anyone other than your dearest, dearest.  One of the most delicious wines we've ever made.

09 Ruben's Block Syrah

Our second effort at Ruben’s Block produced a dazzling wine.  Fermented with 100% whole cluster and aged in 1 year old puncheons.  At 6,000 vines to the acre, Ruben’s Block must be completely hand farmed.  The attention to detail is unmatched and the high quality of the fruit is self evident in the glass.  Perfumed with smoke, violets, crushed blueberries and mulled spices the body of the wine is at once both concentrated, but agile, finishing with freshness and great length.  Save this wine for a special occasion.  It is the best wine from Stolpman Vineyards and will age beautifully for 15+ years.   77 cases produced.

12 Rose

60% Grenache/40% Sangiovese Presse 

The 2012 Rose is classically produced from a non-traditional blend of Grenache and Sangiovese.  These two grapes both make excellent rosés, so it was not a difficult decision to press and ferment them together.  Picked with very low potential alcohols and crisp acidity, the grapes were whole-cluster pressed, exactly like our Sauvignon Blanc.  Fermented in tank and bottled early to preserve the wines freshness and delicacy, the 2012 Rose is a standout from the vintage.  Enjoy with grilled shellfish, summer vegetables and salads.  

11 Grenache

Each year we get better at making the Estate Grenache.  In 2011, due to the cooler vintage and higher levels of naturally acidity in the grapes, we utilized more stems then in past vintages.  Very few punch-downs resulted in a greater amount of carbonic fermentation, producing a wine bursting with aromas of ripe red fruits (alpine strawberries) and crushed dried herbs.  Although lighter in color than our 2008 Estate Grenache, the 2011 is powerfully concentrated and will live in the cellar for many years, gaining complexity and rounder tannins with age. 

11 La Cuadrilla

Syrah and Sangiovese come together to make our 2011 Cuadrilla wine.  Call this wine a baby La Croce – dried cherries and roasted black plums mix with freshly picked lavender and crushed sage and bay leaves.  No new oak here, but you’ll still pick up hints of wood smoke and bittersweet chocolate.     

09 La Coppa Sangiovese

Fruit forward & fresh on the nose with an elegant medium bodied palate & Italian Tannin Structure.  Dry farmed since 2001, Stolpman Sangiovese offers New World Intensity with Old World refinement.  Aged 10 months in Neutral Oak.

09 Sangio degli Angeli

Harvested from our new high-density vineyards, the Sangio degli Angeli is our homage to Brunello.  These new vineyards are planted in an ideal location at our ranch - on a limestone laden hill, but at a slightly lower elevation than our high-density Syrah vineyards - slowly ripening the fruit thru September to the end of October.  Every care is taken to harvest the grapes gently to protect the juice from oxidation and preserve the delicate floral aromas of this wine.  Fermentations are slower and cooler than for our Estate Sangiovese further enhancing the aromatic complexity of the finished wine.  Crushed rose petals, lilac and jasmine are interlaced with red currants and wild strawberries in the nose and followed on the palate with flavors of licorice, wood smoke, and grilled game.  This wine will easily cellar for a decade, so test your patience and try and put a few bottles away in the furthest corner of your wine closet.  

09 Sangiovese

Sangiovese is a difficult grape to grow.  Prone to excessive yields, slow to ripen, and sensitive to sunlight.  Fortunately, the 2009 vintage, provided plenty of warmth and a long growing season to bring excellent ripeness to our Sangiovese, without sacrificing freshness and vitality.  We have been shortening the maceration times during fermentation and extracting the color and polyphenols more gently to keep the fruit more forward.  Cherries, chalk, bay leaves, orange rind, tobacco and new leather burst from the glass.  The mouthfeel is chewy, with savory dryness and a sweet lingering finish of pomegranate and toasted fennel seeds.  Aged for 30 months in large barrels, this wine was bottled without filtration or fining.

09 Petite Sirah

Our very first bottling of pure Petite Syrah, the 2009 was aged in barrel for three years to mellow the rich tannins and wild aromatics that this grape is known for.  Dark, opaque and exotic this wine was harvested from 20 year old vines that we grafted to Petite Syrah in 2007.  We produced only 100 cases of this hedonistic wine.  Decanting is recommended well before enjoying.  Also best served a few degrees cooler than our syrahs.    

12 Viognier

Produced in very small quantities, the 2012 Viognier is a great example of a Northern Rhone white wine.  Mineral, opulent, and delicate with aromas and flavors of orchard fruits and garden flowers, this wine should be consumed over the Summer and enjoyed before the beginning of Winter.

12 Sauvignon Blanc

Striking aroma of Grapefruit sorbet with a light mouth-feel that floats through the palate.  Succulent and fresh, and just crisp enough to refresh on a hot day.   100% Stainless steel fermented and aged.

11 Golden Point

10 L'Avion

Roussanne is definitely sympatico with the Stolpman Estate.  Between Ruben’s exceptional farming of these vines and their placement in both the cooler Western and lower parts of the vineyard, our Roussanne ripens perfectly in a gradual and gentle fashion.  We regularly harvest the Roussanne at Stolpman with lower potential alcohols than our Syrahs, usually in the month of November.  Fermented with indigenous yeast, in 100% new puncheons, the 2010 L’Avion spent 12 months in oak on lees and 3 months in tank before bottling.  Figs, melons, honey, beeswax, and jasmine tea burst from the glass, with hints of blood orange in the subtle flavors.  The mouthfeel of the L’Avion is one of its hallmarks and the 2010 is extravagantly textured with a long clean finish.  

07 Late Harvest Viognier