In early September, the 2016 Santa Barbara County vintage appeared to be a moderate one. The grapes picked then will turn into bright, fresh wines with high acids. Then, a moderate offshore heat-spike hit the weekend of September 17, followed by a slightly more pronounced heat-spike the very next weekend. The vintage can now be clearly divided in half: grapes harvested before heat (BH) and … Read More →
Harvesting Based on Taste We spend much of our days walking the vineyard rows, constantly tasting grapes. West faces, east faces, hilltops – each side of the vine – and grapes from varying positions on clusters; all examined. We taste the sweetness and flavor profile, paying close attention to the softening texture of the skins and seeds – both will define the tannin structure of … Read More →
Across Santa Barbara County, the cold nights and moderate day time highs have resulted in phenolic and sugar ripeness at high acid levels. The resulting wines should be bright and vervy, and, age-able for decades. September 7th marked the first Syrah harvest night at Stolpman. We kicked off with the crown of Ruben’s block and some own-rooted high-density Syrah destined for the Estate bottling. By … Read More →
The head-pruned high-density saga This growing season we face the practical challenges of farming 11 acres of newly-planted high-density head-pruned vines. In previous years, only Ruben’s Block, totaling 6,000 vines, was planted in this fashion. Throughout the winter and early spring, we added another 66,000 babies. The vines are planted at 3×2.5 foot spacing to increase root competition. Each small vine will produce only 2-3 … Read More →
Who is Ruben? A Los Angeles Event Honoring the Grape Whisperer For the first time, Ruben Solorzano is being honored with a grand celebration. On July 30, fourteen vintners and winemakers will gather at Everson Royce Bar Downtown LA in support of Ruben Solorzano “the Grape Whisperer”. Ruben’s family will be manning the BBQ and taco stand to accompany all of the great wines mentioned … Read More →
Our Chilled Red Wine Program Carbonic Sangiovese stirs up a bit of controversy. When presented as a cold, more substantial alternative to Rose, people often fall in love with the cherry fruit purity and light, refreshing finish. When people pop the cork expecting a rich, coating, more traditional California red – especially if the bottle is at summertime room temperature – reactions become mixed, often … Read More →
Robust flavors and smooth, coating richness define the 2014 vintage. Warmer night time temperatures added richness and depth to bright, fresh fruit profiles. The pleasant, happy year in Ballard Canyon shows through to the wines. Representatives 2014 Estate Syrah and 2014 Estate Roussanne represent almost every exposure within in the hills of Stolpman Vineyards. Our 18 acres of Roussanne stretch over three different blocks and … Read More →
Naturally adding to the diversity & complexity of our wine making program, Join us as we get dirty with the different soil profiles of the Stolpman property. Limestone, Clay, Shale & Sand. LIMESTONE Limestone : Our founder Tom Stolpman searched the Central Coast for this glorious white rock. Coupled with cold nights, the Limestone bedrock defines the brightness and balance of Stolpman Vineyards wines. Our Ballard Canyon Limestone … Read More →
By forcing our vines to ripen grapes without irrigation, Stolpman Vineyards achieves naturally concentrated, vibrant flavors. Our dry farming technique might be the most important element of our viticultural methodology. In the 2012-2014 drought years, we reverted to Michel Roland’s definition of dry farming: no vines are irrigated after fruit set when tiny grapes appear. Without rainfall in Santa Barbara County from April through harvest, … Read More →
The vineyard is alive with 2016 growth and finger’s crossed, moderate weather will prevail through spring. The early, fragile stages of growth are the riskiest of the year. On the Central Coast, climactic events early in the season often define the vintage profile more profoundly than harvest-time heat spikes and storms. Hoping for Better Luck It’s easy to suspect California’s well-publicized drought as the culprit … Read More →
