Located in Ballard Canyon AVA, Stolpman Vineyards grows syrah and other Rhône varieties on the canyon’s windy, limestone-rich slopes. Vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano, known as “the Grape Whisperer,” oversees a full-time vineyard crew and has played a central role in shaping Stolpman’s farming.
Stolpman makes a wine dedicated to its vineyard workers called La Cuadrilla, which means “The Crew.” The winery’s La Cuadrilla program gives crew members their own vineyard blocks to farm and uses the fruit in a blend of syrah, grenache, and sangiovese, with profits from the wine returned to the crew.
Among the syrahs, the 2022 Hilltops Syrah offers raspberry, blueberry, peppercorn, and spice, with structured tannins and a lingering finish. The 2024 Angeli, a single-block syrah named in honor of Tom Stolpman’s wife, Marilyn, and her family, is richer, with cocoa, dark fruit, and black currant.
The 2023 Ruben Solorzano Syrah, inspired by Côte-Rôtie, comes from the vineyard’s one-acre Great Places block, planted with a mix of old syrah vines. Its savory notes of meat, smoke, peppercorn, and dark fruit give way to cocoa and a creamy richness on the palate.
