January 2026Wines of the Month

For the wine snob: Properly farmed Syrah, harvested at the pinpoint peak of both ripeness and freshness, will deliver a compellingly delicious red wine from numerous sites to the North and East of Ballard Canyon AVA. Vigneron Ruben Solorzano is trusted to optimize these vineyards and nail the picks. The result should beckon red wine lovers back to Syrah hopefully providing a pivotal re-introduction after the dark ages of jammy heaviness.

For the rest of us: A red plume of ripe fresh cherry combining the crunch of skin with scrumptious flesh. The open, enveloping nose gives way to youthful taut firmness. The wine plays a pure rhythm of red fruit and energy, melody and beat.

For the wine snob: Healthy late season rains pushed back bud-break and the growing season by 3-4 weeks. Summer was escaped without any extreme heat events that would have accelerated ripening. Slow, even ripening led into a strategic, well-spaced harvest in which Chardonnay hit ideal high-acid ripeness in late September, and not atypically, the Roussanne was picked November 8-10. 60% Chardonnay, 40% Roussanne.

For the rest of us: Despite the minority share of Roussanne, the grape shows itself dominantly in the dark golden hue of the blend. On the nose, the Roussanne’s deep concentration continues its march of honey suckle and golden pineapple. The Chardonnay comes through with an appealing, joyful brightness on the palate. The two marry into yellow mango flesh. Coating gourmet smoothie texture already envelopes any note of oak toast. Pear and apple through to kumquat on the finish

For the wine snob: Stolpman spent September of 2023 waiting around for ripening, fully staffed and prepped for grapes to ripen. They pounced on perfectly ripe, crunchy Gamay at the end of the month! Certified organic and biodynamic.

For the rest of us: Opening with a bang of bright boysenberry and then into riper reds. High-toned, medium bodied with fleshiness building through the finish. Crunchy, tangy acidity rides high through the mouth. Super sunny energy levitates over the svelte, streamlined, gliding mouth feel. With air, the wine takes on more restraint and centers itself into more of a refined classic.

For the wine snob: Healthy winter rain led to a relatively late bud break. The vines naturally set a lighter crop than 2023, and minimal cluster thinning was needed as the vines had already balanced themselves. Summer proved beautifully moderate and weather didn’t warm up until the second week of Septemeber. The Sauvignon Blanc was harvested over a span of 4 weeks from Ruben’s warmer Happy Canyon sites through Santa Ynez Valley and finally the coolest, windiest sites near Los Alamos.

For the rest of us: Lemon preserve spread on toast. Cucumber and freshly cubed mango. The crispness of pressed linen in the sunshine, smooth sheets of texture from the front palate through the finish. Lightly charred cedar plank sprinkled with citrus brings savory nuance and a backbone to the tropical fruit flesh.

For the wine snob: The even heat-free 2019 growing season allowed the grapes to retain healthy balancing acidity. Most of the 2019 reds are energetic and will greatly benefit from cellaring to hit the peak of enjoyment. However, 2019 Sun & Earth breaks the mold and hits the ground running as a blockbuster. 42% Mourvedre, 42% Syrah, 16% Grenache.

For the rest of us: Red perfume with ripe grandesse gushing from the nose through to the finish. All the while, a higher tone layer of menthol and citrus rides suspended above the hedonistic core, broadening the spectrum and somehow making the wine even larger. An outpour of love and emotion, yet joyful.

For the wine snob: A cold spring led to a moderate summer without significant heat spikes through harvest. Over-all, 2021 harvest arrived late, with traditional reds beginning to hit peak ripeness at the end of September and through October. The evenly sun-tanned clusters bound for L’Avion were visually “cherry-picked” the mornings of November 8 and 9, 2021 – a fairly typical harvest date for a moderate year without heat waves. 93% Rousanne, 7% Chardonnay.

For the rest of us: Pale gold in color upon release, the toasty new French oak already seamlessly takes a back seat to soft, lush honeysuckle. The softness downplays the richness that builds slowly through the mouth with a sustained coat long after swallowing. The fruit intensity will continue to muster for the next decade but for now, white flower petals whisp over the deep core. Already immensely pleasurable, it can wait a decade to be drunk for a deep, glowing gold and still fresh.

For the wine snob: Over the past 25 years, Stolpman has pushed the Syrah envelope, own-rooting vines directly into its Limestone soils at high-density. Un-grafted, the vines behave maturely within 3-4 years and do not require irrigation. These own-rooted vines ripen small, concentrated clusters harvested for both ripeness and liveliness, and they deliver a singular expression of Ballard Canyon Syrah. In pursuit of seamless purity, the winemaking team takes an extremely gentle touch as no force is needed to extract color and richness.

For the rest of us: 2023 Estate Grown Syrah is a wine of layers, feather over feather. Fresh yet expansive ripe red berries carry a core energy. Sangre + Flesh: sliced, bloody, and perfectly marbled. Inviting Lavish Purple. Chalky Fine tannins.

For the wine snob: The harvest yielded such a small amount that the winemakers borrowed a miniature press to efficiently pop all the grapes. The juice was fermented in a new Ermitage 500L French Oak puncheon and then transferred to neutral oak for secondary fermentation.

For the rest of us: Quince, pear and honeysuckle on the nose with a punchy palate and vibrant acidity. This wine is made without added sulfur. Decant and serve cold.