Stolpman Vineyards Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2023

It’s crazy to think about, but I’ve known and worked with Pete Stolpman and his family’s wines for about 15 years now. He and his vineyard manager, Ruben “the Grape Whisperer” Solorzano, have paired up to make one of Santa Barbara’s most-formidable duos and some of the very best value in all of America with estate Originals Syrah, Uni White, and Sauvignon Blanc bottlings. The latter is the one I HAD to bring you today, as it is one of the best domestic Sauvignon Blancs I can recall tasting. The energy and tension in this Sauvignon Blanc is remarkable.

Antonio Galloni calls Stolpman “without question one of the most improved wineries in Santa Barbara over the last decade.” That’s pretty ridiculous praise when you think about what a critical darling this winery has been, even before Pete handed over the winemaking duties to Kyle Knapp. Previously, the uber-famous Saschi Moorman was at the helm. But somehow, the wines are only getting better.

Galloni credits that to the change in style from heavier, more concentrated wines to wines that now have “notable freshness and verve.” The key difference Galloni argues is now there is a “level of energy and vibrancy to these wines that was missing in the past.”

Today’s Sauvignon Blanc, the 2023 Estate bottling from Stolpman, is absolutely bristling with energy. It’s relentless as soon as you twist open the top. It’s as fresh as could be with inviting aromas of peach, green apple, and citrus. There’s beautiful acid present in the first sip but plenty of fruit to greet you as well. There’s a minerality from crisp lemon-lime notes with some citrus and salinity that infiltrates the palate. It’s a gorgeous, medium bodied wine that absolutely puts to shame most of the past year in domestic Sauvignon Blanc I’ve had in the past year. This is 100% Ballard Canyon Estate fruit, and the price is just silly.