Stony Hill Vineyard Tasting
Stony Hill Vineyard St Helena, CA
Tasted August 10, 2017 by wineman73 with 253 views
Introduction
Our first stop for the Day 1 tasting was Stony Hill Vineyard in St. Helena. This vineyard made the list because I believe it’s chardonnay represents the best of what California has to offer. I was curious to learn how these wines were created and farmed because they age so great. Alex, our guide, provided wonderful knowledge about Stony Hill's history and wine. The vineyard sits off the main highway on a winding road up 800-1000 feet above the valley. Stony Hill is 100% dry farmed and contains 14 different soil types. Natural springs run under the vineyard providing water to the vineyard roots. At Stony Hill, they pick on acidity and not sugar! They produce wines that allow the varietals to express properly by not manipulating fermentation and bombarding with oak. There is care and sacrifice with such dedication. In fact, Stony Hill’s yield of ½-2 tons per acre is only half of what is yielded on the valley floor. As for chardonnay, Stony Hill is the closet thing to White Burgundy in terms of how the wine is made and farmed. The McCreas were inspired by Burgundy, which provided motivation and vision. They produced their first bottling in 1954. Chardonnay was not well recognized at that time, so we learned that an old bottle of chardonnay from Stony Hill would illustrate Pinot-Chardonnay because many would recognize Pinot Noir over chardonnay. The oldest vines on property are Riesling and they were first planted in 1942. Other varietals in vineyard include Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Semillon, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, which was planted in 2004. The tasting experience was a great opportunity to taste 7 different wines. Stony Hill provided amazing views compared to the monotonous valley floor and the wines did not disappoint! Stony Hill is a must visit! It is a true expression of character and charm!!
Flight 1 - 2014 Stony Hill Gewurztraminer (1 note)
Flight 2 - 2014 Stony Hill Riesling (1 note)
Flight 3 - 2014 Stony Hill Chardonnay (1 note)
Flight 4 - 2008 Stony Hill Chardonnay (1 note)
No comparison against the 2014. The 2008 dominated this comparison. It is amazing what age does for this wine! The color was a beautiful gold color with aromas of green apples, honey, and tropical fruits. The profile on the palate was just awesome. Nice weight and acidity with flavor profiles of baked apple, honey, and hibiscus. The finish was very crisp and lasting with a profile of baked fig and green apple. This wine can go another 10 years. Score 94
Flight 5 - 2014 Stony Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (1 note)
Flight 6 - 2015 Stony Hill Semillon de Soleil (1 note)
Closing
The visit to Stony Hill was fantastic! I highly recommend a visit as a first timer to wine country or if you are an expert visitor of this area. The vineyard and its wine is something to be desired, which is full of character and charm.