Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
I love the concept of Para Maria de Los Tecolotes, which translates to "for Maria of the owls." Para Maria de Los Tecolotes is the product of the winery's partnership with their vineyard manager Ruben Solorzano and his wife, Maria, their forewoman. While Ruben oversees Stolpman and a dozen other vineyards, Maria focuses solely on Stolpman as full-time leader of La Cuadrilla—the gang that tends to the vineyards. She is the proverbial woman behind the man as well as the men and woman in the vineyards. Maria Solorzano, a native of the small village of Santa Cruz—two hours from Guadalajara—was referred to (along with the other villagers) as Tecolote, or Night Owl. Today she and her La Cuadrilla turn nocturnal for three months every year, harvesting in the cool of the night, under the watchful eye of the vineyard's resident great horned owls. The 2015 Stolpman Vineyards Para Maria de Los Tecolotes is a red wine born out of the love of the vineyards. Made from a blend of 93% Syrah and 7% Petit Verdot, this is simply an honest wine without pretention—showing red and black fruit flavors, a firm a palate, and soft yet well-built aftertaste. Party on. (Tasted: October 19, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
With a dry and mild climate cooled significantly by moist ocean fog and breezes, Santa Barbara County is a grape-grower’s dream. Part of the larger Central Coast appellation, Santa Barbara is home to Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley. The conditions here provide an opportunity for nearly effortless production of high-quality cool-climate Central Coast wines. This is also the site of the 2004 film Sideways, which caused Pinot Noir’s popularity to skyrocket and brought new acclaim to the region.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars of Santa Barbara, producing wines marked by racy acidity. Crisp Sauvignon Blanc and savory Syrah are also important. The region is home to many young and enthusiastic winemakers eager to experiment with less common varieties including Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Trousseau Gris, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, making it an exciting area to watch.