This special wine is made from grapes that the crew working in the fields have grown under their own responsibility. Sales are shared among the project participants.
In addition to some of the wine's own vineyards, 30% of the grapes come from vineyards in the Santa Barbara region managed by Ruben Solazano.
Fermented for 21 days in open-top concrete tanks
Aged for 6 months in neutral 500L Hermitage oak barrels (puncheons) from France. No new barrels.
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In 2013, we planted a special cutting before cloning on a 1/2 acre hillside, and the following winter, we buried the extended vine underground, connected it to the original mother tree, and connected it to three adjacent supports and drilled holes. The bud buried underground naturally grew roots, and when it emerged above ground, the bud near the tip grew leaves and eventually produced clusters. We repeat this process every year, and by 2023, the mother vine has grown to nearly 1,000 connected vines. The dream is to produce hundreds of vines from this single vine on a half acre. This project would never have been possible without La Cuadrilla's meticulous and long-term dedication.
Soft, deep purple plums with crackling red flames. The smoothness coats the tongue, filling the mouth, and fresh cherry and ripe berry reappear on the finish. Fine acidity, red fruit and smooth tannins combine to create a delicate, balanced, feathery finish.
"If you want to make the best Syrah in California, use grapes from Stolpman" - Stolpman Vineyards is known for producing high-quality Syrah, so much so that this phrase has become a motto among winemakers aiming to make Rhone grapes.
Their Syrah, known for being used in Cine Qua Non, which has received 100 points from Parker 13 times in the past, is purchased by many well-known wineries, including local Ojai Vineyard, and continues to supply to other wineries even now that they have started producing their own wine.
25 years ago, founder Tom Stolpman found this land with calcareous soil in the Santa Ynez Valley, which he had been searching for for a long time, and has been practicing dry farming. In addition to the fog that keeps the humidity high and the temperature getting very low at night, the limestone layer that extends about 90 meters underground is covered with about 1 meter of clay on the surface, which are ideal conditions for dry farming. Irrigation is used to grow the trunks and roots for about 5 years after planting, but after a weaning period of 1 or 2 years, irrigation is stopped. This allows the roots to grow deep into the ground and to seek nutrients and water on their own. The grapes remember the size of the fruit they had before, and they mature on their own to reach the size of the bunches they had produced before, even if it means reducing the number of fruit.
Ballard Canyon
Ballard Canyon was officially recognized as an AVA in 2013, and many wineries, including Stolpman, grow Syrah. Currently, 60% of the AVA is planted with Syrah, and 20% with Rhone varieties such as Grenache and Roussanne.
The eight producers in the AVA who grow high-quality Syrah share a common bottle with the words "Ballard Canyon" engraved around the bottleneck. Soon, Ballard Canyon Syrah will be displayed around the world.
La Cuadrilla
La Cuadria is a joint venture between Ruben Solazano, who has been managing the Stolpman vineyards since 1994, his team, and the winery. Each crew member uses the grapes from the vineyards entrusted to them to make La Cuadria. The profits from this are used as part of their year-end bonuses, and are directly returned to them. The wines that each member produces with professionalism can be said to be wines made in the vineyards.
Combe
Combe is the project by Raja Parr and Peter Stolpman, which has created a new trend known as the "New California Style" and has been attracting attention in recent years.
Raja, who highly valued the grapes from Stolpman's vineyard, persuaded Peter to make a small-scale wine focusing on minor varieties in California. Raja Parr's innovative ideas, its rarity, and the high quality of the wine itself are highly praised by sommeliers around the world. Exciting projects are underway, including Trousseau, Chenin Blanc, and Gamay.
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