Winemaker Notes
Raw, unbridled red fruit pumps from the nose, through the mouth, and washes over tight, succinct tannin. A return to the boldness, weight, and intensity of classic Stolpman Sangiovese vintages after the "pure juice" of the hotter 2020 vintage. Leather, sangre, and dried herbs create a firm foundation for the heights of red fruit. A marriage of fresh red fruit and the "je ne sais quoi" of a mature Brunello di Montalcino, yet, with the added booming concentration, unachievable outside of their Limestone hills. Even in its youth, secondary notes of pine and menthol belie noble complexity. A Sangiovese with hunter-killer prowess!
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Accounting for only ten percent of the greater Santa Ynez AVA, Ballard Canyon’s north-south orientation provides an ideal pattern of sunshine and martime fog for producing excellent Syrah. While Syrah is planted to half of the total AVA acreage, an additional third is dedicated to other Rhône varieties, red and white.