Who Likes Uni?

This week Colin, Devin, and Chelsie opened up “UNI” from Stolpman Vineyards in Ballard Canyon located in the Santa Ynez Valley of California. The region is known for its success with Rhône Valley varietals because they share a similar climate. It is very hot and dry during the growing season, but can temperatures fluctuate up to 40° during the day. It can be as hot as 90° during the day but temperatures can reach the high 30s at night. This diurnal fluctuation makes for happy grapes. 

Roussanne is a southern Rhône varietal that is typically blended with Marsanne and Viognier. They are difficult varietals to achieve freshness with because they have inherently lower levels of acidity. This is when I have to admit to my obsession with acid and acknowledge that I sometimes forget that wines with lower levels of acidity can also be quite nice. And in the case of this wine, delicate and nuanced.

Now, the wine… UNI is comprised of 70% Roussanne and 30% Chardonnay, which is used to make up for the acidity that Roussanne loses during the growing season. When we first opened it, on the nose, the wine seemed quite unctuous, as Colin remarked. Honeysuckle, honeydew melon, and fresh pear were some of the first flavors shouted out. Devin noted how rich and smooth the wine was. And I was convinced there was a waft of plantain lingering in the background. 

Because the Roussanne was able to achieve full ripeness during the growing season the alcohol level on the wine felt as though it was closer to 14% than 13%, which was indicated on the bottle. But because we drank the wine when it was still chilled, it wasn’t noticeable until the fourth or fifth sip. Colin found the wine to have a slightly oily texture, which often comes up when we taste full-bodied white wine. We probably stood around swirling our glasses for half an hour without even tasting because the aromas we were finding in the glass were so intriguing. Toasted brown rice, bitter melon, fresh star fruit, Asian pears. These were all flavors that the wine evoked. 

The wine was slightly creamy without being buttery, there was clearly no presence of oak. If you are a lover of sake this is definitely a wine for you to try. It’s dry, saline, and you find a new layer of flavor with every sip. 

This is why I love tasting wine with other people. It doesn’t matter what your experience level is when it comes to tasting wine. We all eat food, we all have our own preferences, we all bring a different encyclopedia of flavors to the table when we open a new bottle. And even if a wine isn’t your style, sharing wine is the most important part of the experience.