2018 Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Syrah Ballard Canyon Santa Barbara 750 ml

Stolpman has been a Wine Access go-to for 15 years, and Vinous’ Stolpman reviews reach back just as far—so it’s worth shouting from the rooftops that the 2018 Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Syrah is setting records in both places. 

With its 94-point score, the 2018 is Vinous’s highest-rated Stolpman Estate Syrah, and our price puts one of California’s most formidable reds firmly in weeknight-drinking territory. 

Our members have praised Stolpman as "by far some of the best Syrah,” saying the winery’s “QPR is fantastic.” This is Stolpman’s flagship red—a bottle we look forward to every year because it stands as one of the best values in the Golden State, discounts be damned. But the price we scored on a wine that Antonio Galloni called “fabulously deep and expansive” and “the reference point” for the Ballard Canyon appellation makes this 2018 an unprecedented value.

We expect those who’ve ever had a sip of Stolpman Syrah to be first in line. For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure… do we even need to say it? Stolpman’s flagship bottle has NEVER come with a more enticing price-to-points combo than this one, so grab it before we’re hanging the SOLD OUT sign. 

The wine is dark ruby-purple, almost opaque, and tinged with violet. On the nose, it’s vibrant and assertive, with tones of purple plum, cracked pepper, black cherry, and wild herb, along with crushed violets intertwined with licorice and a kiss of smoke. The palate has a vibrational energy that is distinctive and broad, while lifted at the same time. Drinking really well now, it’s got at least ten years of development ahead of it. 

In other words, a true standout from Stolpman—a wine that not only displays the best of Ballard Canyon, but tells the story of the winery’s evolution. When Stolpman began making wine, they crafted bigger, more extracted wines through their winemaking choices. Now they rely on the concentration that comes from dry-farming. That means no irrigation from fruit-set to picking, and a harvest of small, undiluted grapes that come in at the peak of freshness. As Pete says, “You could cut them in half and watch concentrated beads of juice cling to the torn skins, rather than drip off.”

Those grapes provide all the color, flavor, and texture the Stolpman team needs, so they treat them much more gently in the cellar, using only free-run juice to elevate the purity and nuance of the wine. The result is a wine of true balance—one that shows well early, but is fit for a long stretch in the cellar. 

Stolpman got their start growing grapes for Sine Qua Non and some of California's most renowned wineries, but now their own wines are winning fans the world over. They’ve made waves in Wine & Spirits magazine’s list of top restaurant wines, and the calls from around the U.S. and overseas are getting more frequent and insistent. 

That’s why we’re so proud to say that we were way ahead of the curve, and by snapping up every offer, Wine Access members have earned their shot at this unprecedented bottle.