Stolpman’s 2010 Syrah Hilltops is made from lower-yielding vines, and some newer plantings. It also sees a higher percentage of new oak barrels. Given the extreme elegance and sheer character of Syrah on the ranch, it seems a shame to lather the wine with so much new oak. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020. Stolpman is one of the larger estates in the Santa Ynez Valley. The property spans 220 total acres, 150 of which are under vine. This is a solid set of wines, with a number of highlights. At the same time, I feel an identifiable house style has yet to emerge. This is most evident in the Syrahs, which are all over the map in terms of their personalities. For example, use of stem inclusion is driven by the qualities of each individual site, rather than by an overarching philosophy. While that sounds great in theory, it can lead to wines that are stylistically very different from each other. Still, the best Stolpman wines are compelling. In 2010, the heat spikes that were so challenging for Pinot Noir were less of an issue for Syrah, as the grapes were much less further along in their development, and the skins were thus more resistant to the conditions. Winemaker Sashi Moorman reports that some sorting was necessary to remove sunburned fruit, but that dehydration was not a major issue. Moorman also notes that as the vines have gotten older, the berries are smaller and therefore the grapes are sturdier, which requires less irrigation, a phenomena he first noted when visiting Saxum’s James Berry Vineyard just before harvest a few years back. Vintage 2011 was much less kind here. Frost lowered yields by as much as 40%, but that is a story for next year. Tel. (805) 688-0400