Stolpman La Caudrilla 2018

Sale $18.79 - Beats the Best US Price 

92 pts Wine Advocate

Other than the previous two vintages of this same wine, It's been NINE years since the Wine Advocate has rated a California Syrah 92 pts or better that sells for under $20!!! So... yeah... go for it!

We talk a lot about how wine is grown. Words like “biodynamic”, or “sustainable”, and all manner of environmentally conscious vernacular are commonplace in our emails and on our shelf labels. What makes this wine deeply special to me is that beyond it’s eco-friendly practices, Stolpman actually uses a model of “sustainable employment”.

"When Tom Stolpman purchased the land that is now Stolpman Vineyards, he declared that if his dream of owning a vineyard was to come true, it would not be on the backs of people being taken advantage of.  He asked vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano to employ our vineyard workers year-round, so the team members could have a steady job, a career, and raise their families with security. Ruben Solorzano took Tom’s idea a step further: he aimed to further engage our workers.  He wanted our crew members to learn the lifecycle of the vine and become engaged and passionate about their work.  A man of action, Ruben started a training program in which he gave one Cuadra - a small vineyard block - to his team so they would take responsibility for their land.  Each crew member became the farmer rather than just the worker.  A few years later, once the crew had independently mastered vineyard management, Ruben revealed his grand experiment to Mr. Stolpman. Beginning with the 2009 vintage, we expanded the Cuadrilla program to blend in more wine from the vineyard in addition to the training Cuadra.  Today, 10% of the vineyard’s production goes into the blend.  The profits are returned to the crew members, divided by seniority, in the form of year-end bonuses." winery note

Though the blend changes year to year, Stolpman’s world class Syrah is always front and center! Grenache and Sangiovese round out the cuvee, giving it a fruity burst and a beautiful acid on the back end that makes it an awesome everyday drinker. It is nigh-impossible to find a domestic Syrah this good at this price point. Trust me- I’ve tried! But there’s a reason this is a staple among my weeknight wines. Beyond some of the most progressive worker programs in the industry, beyond the points and the price, this is simply a gorgeous wine designed for the ground up to be celebrated and enjoyed. Enjoy it alongside slow-roasted pork or carnitas, weeknight MacGyver meals, or as you close your laptop after your last zoom meeting of the day.

“The medium ruby-purple colored 2018 La Cuadrilla is a blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Grenache and 15% Sangiovese. The nose is open-knit with bright cranberries, raspberries and blackberries with nuances of forest floor, laurel and dried flowers. The palate is medium-bodied, super silky, bright and lifted with juicy freshness carrying the long finish.” -WA

Oh... and that's not the real label... this is... but I thought it might throw people... here's the story behind the label... "After asst. winemaker Matt Nocas returned from a surf trip with the 2015 la Cuadrilla “agave sickle” label tattooed down the length of his forearm, Ruben promised to get the next vintage’s label inked.  It would be his very first tattoo.  Artist Kari Crist took the design very seriously – creating Ruben’s “spirit animal” an Aztec hawk floating above Ballard Canyon.  When Ruben sent us all the photo of his tattoo from a Puerto Vallarta beach, the asymmetrical bird, obviously drawn on with henna, proved to us that Ruben was never serious about an actual tattoo. So now, in 2018, Kari has given Ruben several tattoos via photoshop on this year’s label.  All of tattoos revolve around Ruben, his family, and his life’s passion – the vineyard." winery note
 

Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Wednesday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.