Stolpman 2023 La Cuadrilla Ballard Canyon Red Wine

Stolpman La Cuadrilla 2023 is a crowd-pleasing, value-packed Rhone-style blend with soul. Juicy, floral-fruited, and medium-bodied, it balances accessibility with winemaker depth and a heartwarming community impact. Ready now, it will develop richer savory layers by 2025.

🌱 Vineyard Project & Purpose

“La Cuadrilla” — meaning “the crew” in Spanish — is a community-driven initiative from Stolpman. Vineyard workers cultivate a designated plot (“cuadra”), and profits from the wine support their families directly

🍷 Blend & Winemaking

• Composition: 50 % Syrah, 20 % Grenache, 15 % Mourvèdre, 15 % Sangiovese, sourced from Ballard Canyon AVA’s limestone-rich hillside soils 

• Fermentation & Aging: Native yeast fermentation for ~22 days in concrete with ~20 % whole clusters; aged 9 months in large neutral French oak puncheons (500 L) 

👃 Aromatics

• Floral and spicy nose: lavender, crushed red berries, cigar box, and earthy herbs, with subtle menthol hints 

👅 Palate & Structure

• Medium-bodied yet dynamic, with juicy red and purple fruit (cherry, plum, berry coulis) riding over silky, fine-grained tannins and lively acidity 

• Secondary layers include toasty spice, tobacco cedar, and loamy earth, leading to a well-balanced and polished mouthfeel 

🔚 Finish & Evolution

• Finishes long, perfumed, and succulent, maintaining freshness and energy 

• Opens with air: Syrah-driven depth deepens, savory herb and menthol notes emerge, suggesting even more complexity by 2025 

🌟 Critic Scores & Value

• 92 pts Vinous: “Bright, punchy and full of character… fabulous entry-level offering” 

• 93 pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “Plush and succulent… quenching, juicy and simply delicious” 

• 91 pts Wine Enthusiast: “Dark cherry, berry and cigar box… ripe fruit and toasty flavors… zippy acidity” 

🍽️ Food Pairing

Ideal with grilled red meats (lamb chops, tri‑tip), BBQ pork ribs, peppery sausages, and aged cheeses. Its savory depth and freshness make it great for hearty yet vibrant dishes.

"A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Sangiovese whose proceeds are divided among Stolpman's vineyard workers, the 2023 La Cuadrilla is one of the better values in all California wine. It opens with a beautifully floral, energetic nose supplemented with focused, leathery accents. The palate is plush and succulent, concluding with a quenching, juicy and simply delicious finish framed by fine-grained tannins." Robert Parker 93 Points

"This vineyard crew-led blend is always a charmer. The blend of 50% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 15% Sangiovese offers dark cherry, berry and cigar box aromas on the nose. The palate lands with ripe fruit and toasty flavors, floating atop young, sticky tannins and a zippy acidity. " Wine Enthusiast 91 Points Editors Choice

BACKGROUND    
"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 positively affect everyone involved.  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 locally and 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.  Thrilled, Tom declared that all of the wine made from the crew’s training Cuadra would be given to the team members for their own consumption.  Having the self-titled wine at the dinner table served as both a source of pride and a chance to appreciate fine wine, the fruits of the crew’s labor!     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, at least 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 both a year-end bonus as well as weekly bonuses on each paycheck.  The big year-end bonus allows the crew members a chance to add to their savings and overall cushion, while the weekly bonus aims to increase the quality of everyday life for La Cuadrilla and their families."