Katie’s Kraving Review:
This bright, fresh, eternally happy, carbonically macerated, co-fermented red is that groovy, fun friend who makes the stars sparkle and your eyes smile. It smells familiar and new at the same time. It’s spunky and loves planned spontaneity. Put a chill on it. Have fun. Laugh. A lot.
I double dog dare you to drink this wine without smiling.
It’s like that silly 5-year old who thinks he’s hilarious and tells the same joke over and over and over. But no matter how many times you hear it, you still can’t help but laugh your ass off. Same with this juice! You’ll smile every damn time. I don’t care how many sips (*cough* bottles) you’ve enjoyed – you’re still gonna smile!
Take it to your next dinner party and you’ll fo sho be the talk of the table! They’ll be like, “What is this playful, romantic, easy, carefree, fun wine with all that ripe red fruit and boysenberry deliciousness?!?! Is that fruity, sour seedless red grapes I’m getting? What the? How is this Syrah so fucking light?!”
We’re glad you asked! The Syrah is left whole cluster then goes through carbonic maceration and co-fermentation with Viognier! The Viognier is only 5% of the total, but the wine making style + this whisper of Viogner = our red smile in a bottle.
This is straight up #purplepeopleeater. Or as we call it at S+P, Smile Juice!
Pair with good friends, rambling stories, salmon sashimi, grilled exotic mushrooms, and a second bottle. Your taste buds will thank you. You’ll thank me. And then you’ll ask me for another!
Thank you Stolpman for keeping it real and making some epic juice … again!
Cheers friends! And don’t forget to #SipAwhile
Shoe:
Barefoot., preferably with your toes in the sand. Just like it’s cousin (Love You Bunches). Or maybe they’re more like fraternal twins. So similar yet so different.
Personality:
This baby has paired up with its fraternal sister (or cousin – you get to pick, like one of those fun choose your own adventures books!) and is running their bar in the sand on the beach in Turks & Caicos. They’re selling badass juice, stirring up chaos, making people smile, and convincing hottie strangers to give them epic foot rubs – because wine not.
The Deets (because those are cool too!)
Grapes & Vineyards: 95% Syrah & 5% Viognier; Ruben Solorzano’s Vineyards in Los Olivos District and Foxen Canyon
Region: Santa Barbara County, CA
ABV: 13%
Vinification & Aging: hand-harvested, whole cluster, un-crushed grapes go through 10-day native, carbonic whole-cluster fermentation in sealed stainless steel tanks then sit for three (3) more months in stainless steel before bottling.
Production: 1,300 cases
Winery: Stolpman (link)
Distributor: Southern Glazer’s (link)