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Stolpman Vineyards
Santa Ynez Valley, California
Syrah
2010
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A Sense of Place
The great wine of the old world is always associated with distinct soil type. Doesn’t matter if it’s the garonaise gravel of Pauillac or the galets roules of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the wines are great because of the rare characteristics of the earth that the vines are rooted in. That’s why they don’t bother to put the grape variety on the label; it’s the place that matters. In California, the winemaker and the grape have always been front and center. Makes sense-- the climate is a lot more forgiving, and everything is easier to grow. Distinctions were easier to make between the people making the wine. It’s different at Stolpman Vineyards. At Stolpman, situated on three limestone ridges north of Santa Barbara, there is a serious sense of place.
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Deep Roots
 It is the limestone that makes the place special at Stolpman. A rarity in California, the limestone soil brings an incredible freshness and complexity to the Stolpman wines, which is immediately obvious when tasting through the range of wines. But it takes more than just planting vines in limestone-rich soil. Pete Stolpman, now running the estate with his Dad, says dry farming is the most important factor in bringing the limestone front and center. By not irrigating the vines, almost unheard of in California but mandatory in most of Europe’s great appellations, Stolpman stresses the vine in its search for water. Roots burrow deeply here, eventually tapping the groundwater far below the surface, groundwater that is utterly affected by the surrounding limestone. The vines don’t yield much, but what is harvested are tiny berries, absolutely packed with intense aromatics and ripe flavors but with incredibly low pH, allowing for fresh, dynamic wine that has very few equals in California.
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Stolpman Syrah
 Just because they let the limestone do the talking in the wines of Stolpman, doesn’t mean that winemaker Sashi Moorman doesn’t have a few good ideas about how to make the best wine possible. The estate Syrah is co-fermented with Viognier, a classic Northern Rhône technique used to bring out the aromatic elegance and complexity that mineral Syrah always has. The 2010 is one of the best wines he’s ever made at Stolpman, a wine that perfectly balances ripe fruit with a stony finish and incredibly fine tannins. The nose is great, with aromas of blueberries, smoky earth and baking spice that lift effortlessly from the glass. The fruit in the mouth is layered and high-toned, with just a touch of black pepper. Overall, this is complex, firm and fresh Syrah-- one of the best American wines I have ever tasted. |
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We will be lucky enough to have Pete Stolpman in the shop for a special tasting in a few months, on Friday, March 1st. Get a preview of what is to come by taking advantage of this special email price. Regular price, $29, this week only, this wine will be $24, a savings of $5 per bottle!
Don’t miss it!
Eat Well, Drink Well,
Laurent
Princeton Corkscrew Wine Shop
2010 Stolpman Vineyards Santa Ynez Valley Syrah $24 
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49 Hulfish St. | Princeton, NJ 08542 | 609-430-1200
www.princetoncorkscrew.com
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The Corkscrew Promise
All of the wine at the Corkscrew Wine Shop has been shipped from the winery and stored, temperature-controlled, at 58 degrees year-round, to ensure the wine is fresh and vibrant at your table.
 I would like to thank you for being a customer of the Corkscrew Wine Shop. Without you, the traditional winemakers who work hard and respect their land in order to bring us these incredible wines would not be able to survive and thrive in the modern wine-making industry. I thank you for supporting us, and in turn supporting them. |
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