Mission Codename Chapoutopel
TOPEL ON TAP!!! A blast from the past makes a triumphant return!
OG Ops have seen many Topel labels on our site over the years. But this one marks an entirely new direction. A complete rebranding, and better yet, an elevation in quality.
Delicious and sleek as ever. One thing remains the same though - the prices are still incredibly reasonable, and downright enticing at our 66% OFF.
On display today, a single vineyard Syrah from the Dry Creek Valley. Hailing from the outstanding 2022 harvest and tumbling all the way down to $22 from the already attractive $65 release price.
The price is low, but the elevation is HIGH like Cheech and Chong. Gustafson is the highest elevation in the entire Dry Creek Valley at a staggering 1,800 feet altitude with no neighbors in sight. Wild boar and deer present the biggest threat up there. Low-hanging, sun-drenched grapes make an enticing treat. But they make even better wine - with tannin and extract levels not for the faint of heart!
It entices with a purple rim on a deep ruby core, with blackberry jam, cherry cola, and violets following on the equally alluring perfume. Dense, complex, and layered, offering firm dark berries, freshly turned earth, spice, licorice, roasted coffee beans, and minerals, all in spades, with tannins firming on the finish. Dry Creek Syrah doesn’t get much better, really, and you owe yourself to experience this tasty fruit bomb.
Topel’s proprietor/winemaker Martin Bernal-Hafner has the street cred; from his early start working with the famed Chapoutier in France, and then to Viña Cobos in Mendoza where he became a protégé of the legendary Paul Hobbs school of winemaking. He returned to Sonoma and continued working with Paul Hobbs before venturing into his own projects and taking the helm at Topel.
Basically, if you dig Napa Cabs or other big, lush reds, this is your ultimate gateway to explore the world of Syrah on steroids. Grill your favorites up on a balmy summer eve, and this screaming value will sing all night.
AT 2/3 OFF we’ve made it easy for you to take that leap of faith, not a whole lot was made.
What the Winery Says
2022 'High Elevation' Gustafson Vineyard DCV Syrah
- Winemaker
- Martin Bernal-Hafner
- Varietal
- 100% Syrah
- Vintage
- 2022
- Alcohol
- 14.4%
- Appellation
- Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
- Vineyard
- Gustafson Vineyard
- Elevation
- 1,800 feet above sea level
- Total acidity
- 6.28 g/L
- pH
- 3.71
- Aging
- 24 months
- Barrels
- 40% new French oak