Site Stolpman Vineyard Roussanne Ballard Canyon 2019

With this wine, it’s all in the name.  The quest for intimacy and a deep understanding of the vineyard proves central to Owner/Winemaker Jeremy Weintraub’s style.  His label Site is an ode to terroir, where he allows himself the flexibility to approach each vineyard and vintage as unique entities without a pre-planned result in mind.  The only outcome he seeks is a sound wine that serves as a stamp of place and time.  

Jeremy’s experience is extensive as the winemaker at Adelaida, a prominent estate in Paso Robles, a position he has held since 2013.  Before his work with Adelaida, Jeremy was the winemaker at Seavey, one of the most under-rated Cabernet houses in the Napa Valley.  But before settling into these prestigious winemaking roles, Jeremy explored the world, working harvests in Tuscany, Central Otago, Martinborough, and Long Island.  With all these stints across the globe, one might think that Jeremy has always worked in wine, but he came to wine as a second career.  During his time as a political and economic writer in D.C., his oenophile tendencies grew too big to maintain as a hobby.  Jeremy balanced his professional winemaking education between theory (by earning a Master’s in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis) and practice (by interning throughout the world’s best wine regions.) 

A key ingredient in his pursuit is careful sourcing, and this 2019 Roussanne from Stolpman Vineyard proves Jeremy has a keen sense for vineyard selection.  Ask the Stolpman family what sets their vineyard apart from other Ballard Canyon sites and California, and they’ll name five significant components.   Number one is limestone that runs deep and lends acidity to the berries with clay-rich topsoil that retains moisture efficiently.  The vines can be dry-farmed due to the clay, which during the dry summer season (reason number two), results in vines that struggle to dig deep for the water table and produce concentrated fruit.  In addition, the Phylloxera louse endemic to California does not care for hot weather, and the Stolpmans have maintained a nearly louse-free vineyard allowing them to keep two-thirds of their vineyard grafted to the vines’ rootstock.  The diurnal shift pendulum swings vastly, with drops of up to 40 degrees between daytime and nighttime.  Chilly temperatures at night allow the grapes to maintain the hard-earned acidity imparted by the limestone soils and are reason number three.  Fourth on the list are the strong winds pulled off the Pacific through the canyon to cool the Mojave Desert.  This natural wind tunnel prevents the canopy from sucking moisture from the air that dilutes the fruit and keeps fungus at bay, so all bunches harvested are pristine.  And lastly, good ‘ol California sunshine to ripen the grapes to their “fullest potential” is the fifth aspect of Stolpman’s well-positioned 150-acre vineyard.

Roussanne can get a bad rap as a varietal for producing singular waxy and weighted wines, hence its traditional use as a blending grape in France’s Rhône Valley.  However, Jeremy has masterfully maintained the acidity from Stolpman in his 2019 Roussanne creating a wine with medium-body and palate-freshening acidity.  Each glass entices and invites with aromas of yellow stone fruits, white cardamom, and jasmine flowers.  Site’s 2019 Roussanne is an incredibly food-friendly wine, even with the main course for those who want to stick with white the whole meal.  If you’re looking for inspiration, pair it with lobster mac n’ cheese, duck pate, or crabcakes; you won’t be disappointed.