Product Overview
Winery's Notes:
"In 2013, we planted one special pre-clonal cutting in the middle of a half-acre hillside. The following winter, we trenched the vine’s growth underground and then up 3 adjacent posts, keeping the original mother vine connected to her 3 daughters. The buds buried underground naturally grew roots, and the buds near the shoots’ ends, sticking back up in the air, grew leaves and eventually clusters. We repeated this process each year and in 2023, the Mother Vine is up to almost 1,000 interconnected vine heads. The dream is to produce a few hundred bottles from this one vine spawning a half acre. She will be complete at over 2,000 heads around 2031, and this project would never be feasible without the meticulous, long-term dedication of La Cuadrilla.
Soft and becoming deep purple plum brimmed with a crackling flame of red. A coating plushness fills the mouth prior to lifted fresh red fruits rising again towards the finish. The red fruits fill a spectrum from firm cherry to riper berry coulis. Subtle acidity married with the red berry fruit and loamy, silty tannin all combine to last in the mouth for minutes in a delicately balanced, feathered finish."
Varietal Composition: 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Sangiovese
Appellation: Santa Barbara County
Aging: 6 months in neutral 500L French puncheons
Production: 10,500 cases
93 Points - Wine Advocate
"The 2022 La Cuadrilla is a blend of Syrah and Grenache with a smaller portion of Mourvèdre. It offers slowly unfurling scents of wild berries, tar, turned earth and wildflowers. The medium-bodied palate is bright and silky, with spicy, earthy fruit and a long, perfumed finish. 10,500 cases were made, and profits go to the vineyard workers at Stolpman." -EB, 12/29/23
92 Points, "Editors' Choice" - Wine Enthusiast
"Directed by and benefiting the estate's farm crews each vintage, this blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Sangiovese offers aromas of blackberry sorbet, scarlet red roses and woodspice on the nose. The palate is focused on a core of jammy berries that are balanced by chalky tannins and an acidic bite." -MK, 3/1/24
92 Points - Vinous
"The 2022 La Cuadrilla is a fabulous entry-level wine. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, spice, tobacco and cedar give this light-bodied wine lovely aromatic presence. All the elements are very nicely balanced. The 25% stems are present, but not overpowering." -AG, Jul/2023
