2019 Stolpman La Cuadrilla Red, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Ballard Canyon, Wine Review

This is a blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Grenache, and 15% Sangiovese from Santa Barbara County. It also a very good value. Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black raspberries, black cherries, spice and slight forest floor. Full bodied. Medium silky tannins. On the palate, this is open and drinking well already. Nice black raspberry fruit with some cherries and black cherries. A bit of black tea underneath. Nice acidity. Long finish. This should drink well for the next five to eight years. Nice on its own, this is a perfect pizza or burger wine.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Vintage:

2019

Current Price:

$20.00USD

America’s Best Rhone Style Red Wines: 11th Annual Rhone Rangers Tasting Reviewed

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. Last month we discussed the white Rhone style wines offered at the 2008 Rhone Rangers tasting event at Fort Mason in San Francisco on March 18. This month we turn to the reds, of which we tasted 50. Among those we tasted were some old favorites and some wineries or bottlings with which we were not yet familiar. We don’t pretend that we tasted a representative group of wines, because our sample was skewed to wines we have loved in the past and others about which we have heard positive comments.

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2008 Hospice du Rhone Events: Highs & Lows of American Rhone-style Wines Tasted

The Rhone Report: About Rhone and Rhone-Style Wines and Winemakers is part of an ongoing series. The 16th annual Hospice du Rhone events in Paso Robles, California from May 1 to 3, 2008 was an opportunity to consider Rhone-style wines from a fresh perspective. Unlike most tasting opportunities, these events included Rhone-style wines from the Rhone Valley itself (51 wineries), elsewhere in France (4 wineries) as well as from Spain (4 wineries), Australia (17 wineries), South Africa (6 wineries), Chile (2 wineries), Argentina (1 winery) and the United States. The American wines were mostly from California (144 wineries), but a few examples from Arizona (2 wineries) and Washington State (5 wineries) were also included. While this is a California-dominated event, and while many of the Rhone Valley’s best producers aren’t represented, there is still sufficient European and other entries to make for interesting comparisons and contrasts. The events included two general tastings and a series of focused seminars.

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Top Ten California Syrahs - 2016

I tend to taste and drink a lot of wine over the course of a year. I am in a few tasting groups, sometimes the wines are consumed at various local wine store tastings and a number drunk with friends and family.

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2020 Jonata Winery Todos, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Ballard Canyon, Wine Review

Vintage:

2020

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$41.00USD

This is a conglomeration of the remaining barrels after the single varietal wines have been bottled. And, like those, this keeps getting better every year. It is a blend of 57% Syrah, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Misc.

2017 Jonata Winery Todos, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Valley, Ballard Canyon, Wine Review

Vintage:

2017

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$60.00USD

This is a blend of the grapes that didn't make it into the single varietal expressions consisting of 44% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petite Sirah, with the remainder made up from Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.

2019 Stolpman La Cuadrilla Red, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Ballard Canyon, Wine Review

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America’s Best Rhone Style Red Wines: 11th Annual Rhone Rangers Tasting Reviewed

2008 Hospice du Rhone Events: Highs & Lows of American Rhone-style Wines Tasted

Top Ten California Syrahs - 2016

2020 Jonata Winery Todos, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Ballard Canyon, Wine Review

2017 Jonata Winery Todos, USA, California, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Valley, Ballard Canyon, Wine Review