INSIDER'S PICK: 2020 STOLPMAN VINEYARDS 'UNI' ROUSSANNE/CHARDONNAY BALLARD CANYON (Vinous 94points) $33.99

Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We will be returning to doing just the one wine on Thursdays and Fridays until further notice. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.

While the weather outside today may be a bit frightful, this wine should help to make everything else delightful. It's another journey into the more unique/esoteric side of Californian winemaking, this time with one of our favorite residents of Santa Barbara. For over 20 years Stolpman has been a champion of Rhone styled wines, most notably Syrah and the red varieties, but touching on the whole spectrum at their groundbreaking property in Ballard Canyon. Roussanne is the start of the most alluring, haunting and heavily discussed White Chateauneuf-du-Papes made, but is a bit tricky to grow so you don't see it experimented with as much as its usual partner grapes Grenache Blanc and Marsanne. When it's done right, though, it's otherworldly, and the Stolpman property really helps the grape achieve great heights. Chardonnay is a bit unique as a partner grape, but it isn't being brought in to feature any oaky/buttery flavors, instead adding a richer mouthfeel and bright citrus to the late ripening and often lower acidity Roussanne profile. The wine is built very naturally and fairly 'hands-off' with no filtering and a lower alcohol profile, so the aromatic power of the Roussanne is on high profile from the very start. Intense citrus oils and tropical fruit roll from the glass immediately, getting more layered and exotic over time as well as a bit of salinity. The Chardonnay brings a nice weight to the palate without feeling cloying which can often happen with a 100% Roussanne wine, and helps maintain a fresh sensation to he finish with the big flavors still performing to the end. The wine was first concocted in the 2016 vintage for a sushi group in Austin TX, and the pairing makes absolute sense, as well as richer pork or poultry dishes.

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