Stolpman Vineyards “Para Maria” Ballard Canyon Red Blend 2018
$22.99
Maria Solorzano, this wine’s namesake, appears shy around visitors and she is always quick to smile. For anyone that sees her in action, it is clear that she leads by the example of her hard-work. Most comfortable in her routine of perpetual motion out on the vineyard – Maria runs perhaps the hardest working, most passionate vineyard crew in the world. On a daily basis, she teaches La Cuadrilla new techniques to execute a constant barrage of experiments – often adapting on the fly – figuring out practical ways of farming ridiculously high-density vineyards by hand or training canopies for ideal shading and wind-flow.
Label Art: The nickname for villagers from Santa Cruz, Jalisco; Maria’s hometown, is “Tecolote” – or night owl. The name stems from the popular late night parties thrown in the town. Maria and La Cuadrilla also turn nocturnal for three months out of the year to harvest in the cold night air for maximum freshness. A resident female Great Horned Owl is the most prolific rodent control beast on the vineyard.
The Para Maria Brand is a 50-50 partnership between the Stolpman and Solorzano families.
Out of stock
Tasting Notes
2018 Para Maria fist seduces with wafting blueberry compote straight out of the bottle. Buffering the blueness lies a deeper chocolate malt and then a fiery, spicy red energy above. The wine strikes an impressive breadth of tactile sensation from the rich and robust to a freshly cut edge – to me this is the whole point of combining elements into a red blend and, when well executed like the 2018, the different elements launch the wine into the category of authentically fine wine.
Varietal Blend
80% Syrah, 20% Petite Verdot
Vinification
40% Syrah (whole-cluster Carbonic Fermentation in sealed tank)
40% Syrah (de-stemmed, traditional open top fermentation)
20% Petite Verdot (de-stemmed, traditional open top fermentation)
Cooperage/Elevage
100% neutral oak barrels for 9 months
Reviews
Wine Enthusiast – “It’s hard to find a better wine for the price than this blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Petite Verdot. Blistered black-plum, charcoal and fresh boysenberry aromas kick off the nose, while the palate blends black pepper, boysenberry and smoke. It is a versatile table wine, as apt for tacos and barbecue as it is for prime rib and roast lamb.” (92 Pts)
Vinous – “The 2018 Para Maria de los Tecolotes is another gorgeous wine in this range from Stolpman. Syrah and Petit Verdot work together beautifully here. Hints of lavender, licorice and spice meld into a core of inky dark fruit in a mid-weight, fruity red that offers tons of near and medium-term appeal. The 2018 is simply irresistible.” (92 Pts)
| Weight | 4 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 4 × 4 × 12 in |
| Wine | |
| Varietal | |
| Region |
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.