2018 Stolpman "La Cuadrilla" Ballard Canyon Red Blend

This bottling was a pioneer in uplifting the education and funding of farmworkers when it began years ago, and the results keep getting better. Aromas of cooked plums, cracked pepper, wood spice and beef jerky show on the nose of the blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Grenache and 15% Sangiovese, while smashed berries, toasted sage and coffee beans arise on the sip. (MK)

Meaning "The Crew," La Cuadrilla was originally a year-to-year changing blend sourced from an annually different small block, or "cuadra," in the winery's estate vineyards, the responsibility for the farming of which lay wholly with Stolpman's vineyard crew as a means of making them more than just workers following orders. Now a larger program that incorporates ten-percentage of Stolpman's production, the La Cuadrilla label changes each year as does the wine inside the bottle. The 2018 edition is a rich, easy-drinking wine whose light Syrah spice defers to juicy, up-front fruit, and it is nothing less than an out-and-out bargain that affords lots of immediate, guilt-free enjoyment. *Good Value*