96pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2020 Sangiovese Estate, from vines planted in 1994, combines sunny California fruit with the classic savory elements of Sangiovese. Pale garnet, it features sour cherries, tar, citrus peel and desiccated flowers with tones of earth and Angostura bitters. Light-bodied with a concentrated core of fruit, the palate is bright and dusty in texture with layered flavors and loads of juicy appeal.

92pts Jeb Dunnuck

Just bottled, the 2020 Sangiovese is another juicy, medium-bodied, elegant red that has lots of ripe red and blue fruits as well as some leafy herb and spicy nuances. I love its tannins, it's balanced, and it’s going to evolve nicely for 7-8 years.

Winemaker Notes

Stolpman’s Cal-Ital Cult Classic.

Santa Barbara’s sunshine brings unrivaled richness and density to Sangiovese grapes and these elements are heightened by not irrigating the deep-rooted vines.  Because Stolpman’s tiny, undiluted Sangiovese grapes pack so much flavor and tactile concentration, the winemaking team has slowly adapted fermentation over the past 25 years to gently extract with minimal brute force, instead relying on massaging the grape skins and circulating the juice over the solid cap of skins and seed.