2022 Stolpman "Combe" Trousseau, Ballard Canyon, Santa Barbara County, California, USA

ABOUT THIS WINE

Pete Stolpman and Rajat Parr’s Esoteric Partnership “Combe” means a “small sheltered valley within a vineyard” in French.

When Rajat Parr began making Sandhi Chardonnay alongside Stolpman in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto back in 2010, he immediately started a campaign to plant Trousseau on Stolpman’s Ballard Canyon Limestone soils. Vignerons in Jura seek out Limestone for their Trousseau plantings, and Rajat theorized that Trousseau, a varietal that often has difficulty achieving ripeness, would flourish in the sunny, arid Ballard Canyon wind tunnel.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER:

Tom Stolpman is the pioneer of the Ballard Canyon AVA. He founded Stolpman Vineyards in 1988 when no one was growing grapes in Ballard Canyon. He is considered the founding vineyard of the AVA. Peter, his son, took over recently. They are known for their Syrah and Rhone varietals. Peter likes to experiment with more innovative wine making techniques and varietals.

They are practicing organic and do not use herbicides/chemicals. They pick and choose from Biodynamic practices and embrace the lunar calendar to identify optimal picking dates. One of the most remarkable things about the winery is that they also practice sustainable employment. Everyone that works at the winery is full-time. The goal is for all of their workers have a steady job, a career, and raise their families locally and with security.