Angeli 2023

Stolpman’s Own-Rooted Tribute
Founder Tom Stolpman wanted to honor his wife, Marilyn, and her family, the Angeli clan, by naming his best wine after her. After decades of research and experimentation, the Angeli wine has now been sourced from her own block for well over a decade. Planted in 2002, these vines represent some of our oldest own-rooted Syrah plantings.  While risky, own-rooting delivers a whole new level of vine health and wine quality. Only the hilltop, ridgeline section of the greater block is cherry-picked for Angeli each year, and then only our favorite barrels make the cut.
Healthy late season rains pushed back bud-break and the growing season by 3-4 weeks.  Knowing we were looking at a delayed harvest, we thoroughly shoot-thinned our vines to reduce the yield and enable the vines to ripen a smaller crop-load.  We escaped the summer without any extreme heat events that would have accelerated or compacted ripening.  
A wall of purple magma flow kissed with menthol and delicate chopped herb. Behind the opaque purple curtain, a layer of crunchy savoriness crackles across the tongue in front of a healthy dose of tannin – all needed to frame the insane density.   Opulent to the max.