Wine review: 2010 Stolpman Vineyards L’Avion Roussanne Santa Ynez Valley

The renowned Sashi Moorman makes the wines for Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara County’s new Ballard Canyon appellation. Though Stolpman’s Syrahs tend to get most of the attention, I’m more impressed with the Roussanne called L’Avion. The vineyard, farmed organically, the vineyard is actually planted on what was once the landing strip for planes in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Fermented in big French oak casks and aged on its lees for over a year, the 2010 L’Avion is rich and complex with scents of honey and jasmine. This is a gorgeous, subtle Roussanne, pale gold in color, with a beautiful mouth feel. Over the course of an evening, the flavors reveal themselves slowly.

It’s a perfect white to serve with lobster or Dungeness or Alaskan king crab, it’s also a wine big enough to work with scallops or other seafood in a sauce. You’ll want to save this bottle for a special meal or for someone who’d pay attention as the wine develops over the course of an hour or so.

Region: Central Coast

Price: $30 to $38

Style: Rich and complex

What it goes with: Lobster, crab, seared scallops, seafood in a sauce

Where to find it: Manhattan Fine Wines in Manhattan Beach, (310) 374-3454, https://www.manhattanfinewines.com; Wally’s Wine & Spirits in West Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606, https://www.wallywine.com; and from the winery at https://www.stolpmanvineyards.com.

irene.virbila@latimes.com