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Special Barrel Tasting before the much anticipated final bottling of Stuhlmuller Vineyards Sticky! Sticky & Chocolate, it doesn’t get better than that!
If you haven’t tasted it-this is your last chance. Stuhlmuller’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon harvested in 2002 and fortified with Barrel Aged St. George Brandy. In the barrel for 10 years and ready for final bottling.
There will be a private release of this final bottling. This will be your opportunity to get on the list, only 40 cases will be available on a first come, first served basis.
Of course, while you are at the winery you can taste all of the Stuhlmuller wines. This weekend only 15% off any 6 bottle purchase of our ’10 Estate Chardonnay and newly released ’09 Estate Cabernet .
Hope to see you there!
Sticky Barrel Tasting Event
Saturday and Sunday, February 11th & 12th , 11-4
Even if it's raining you are guaranteed a gorgeous day in Alexander Valley. A scenic drive along the Russian River brings you to Stuhlmuller Vineyards. Imagine a picnic with stunning views of the Valley and Mt. St. Helena surrounded by acres of vineyards. We have indoor seating if it is raining! Enjoy some Stuhlmuller wine with your meal, we sell wine by the glass, or enjoy a bottle with your friends. Quiet, private tastings on the patio or in our cool tasting room in the barn. You'll never have to wait to be served or be bothered by the crowds. We look forward to serving you.
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Greetings from Stuhlmuller Vineyards!
By the time you read this, harvest 2011 will be one for the books here at Stuhlmuller Vineyards. If you’re from California, you already know that it’s been another strange, cold year. While Mother Nature can make your hair go white in the wine business (or just make it go altogether), we’re actually pretty excited about 2011. From a stylistic standpoint, it’s a vintage that dovetails beautifully with what our winemaker Leo is trying to achieve in the winery (but more on that later).
While making wine is definitely our business, having kids seems to be our other going concern. My twins Otto and Lorelei just started preschool, and Heidi just turned one (she was a harvest baby!). Leo’s son Max just turned two, and we’re excited to announce that he has another baby on the way. Congratulations Leo! Nobody is quite old enough to start pulling their weight at the sorting table, but even so, we’ve never felt more like a “family” winery.
New Releases
Speaking of family, and family celebrations, with the holidays fast approaching, this is a great time to stock up for the season ahead. We are pleased to unveil five exciting new releases. Perfect for Thanksgiving feasting, or as cellar-worthy seasonal gifts, this lineup of estate-grown wines offers something for everyone.
2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley ($65)
A lot of wineries make reserve wines every year. We choose to only make ours in really special vintages. This is our first Reserve Cabernet since the phenomenal 2006 vintage, which received across-the board raves (93 points – Wine Advocate, 92 points – Wine Spectator, 92 points – Wine Enthusiast and 90 points – International Wine Cellar). The 2006 disappeared in a heartbeat. The 2008 likely will too.
2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley ($38)
Both the Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast gave our 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 90 points. We think the 2009 vintage is even better! It’s dark and voluptuous, with intense Cabernet aromas of black cherry, cassis, blue fruit, black licorice and violets. Not to be missed!
2009 Estate Zinfandel, Alexander Valley ($28)
This is a gorgeous wine, with wild berry and cream aromas and lush flavors of black raspberry, strawberry, red currant, vanilla and coffee. Robert Parker gave the 2008 vintage of this Zin 90 points, calling it, “an absolutely brilliant wine, and reasonably priced as well.”
2009 Reserve Chardonnay, Alexander Valley ($38)
Our 2009 Reserve Chardonnay also follows in some big footsteps. Both International Wine Cellar and Wine Spectator gave our 2008 Reserve Chardonnay 91 points. The 2009 is spectacular! This wine is lush and inviting, with head-turning aromatics, beautiful fruit purity and fresh acidity.
2010 Estate Chardonnay, Alexander Valley ($24)
The extremely cool 2010 vintage delivered a lovely wine that is right in our stylistic sweet spot. It is vibrant and bright, with lovely aromatics and pure varietal flavors. The previous vintage of this wine also earned great notices, with Wine Enthusiast giving it 91 points and praising its “Chablisian style” and “streamlined complexity.”
As always, orders of one case or more will receive a 15% discount. Order of two cases or more receive a 20% discount. (Mixed cases allowed.)
Harvest 2011
As we mentioned, harvest 2011 was one of the coldest vintages we have seen in our 30 years of growing winegrapes in the Alexander Valley. A late, rain-filled period of bloom produced a very small crop of Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a mixed blessing. It means we won’t have nearly as much 2011 Cab, but because there wasn’t much fruit on the vines, the plants were able to focus their energies on ripening what was there. We brought in all of our Chardonnay and Zinfandel before the rain in early October, but we held off on certain sections of our Cabernet (which is more rain tolerant because of its thick skins), bringing it in throughout October. Overall, the fruit is stellar—the aromatics are stunning, the flavors pure and well developed, all with lower alcohol levels and great acidity.
Hector Bedolla – Our New Vineyard Manager
We were proud to welcome Hector Bedolla as our new vineyard manager in the run-up to this year’s harvest. Hector grew up in Yountville where he gained a love of grape growing. As a teenager he worked at various wineries, before going on to study plant science at UC Davis. Since then, Hector has established himself as one of wine country’s leading vineyard managers and viticulturists, working at wineries like Iron Horse, Stag’s Leap and La Crema. Throughout his career, Hector has been president of the Sonoma County Grape Growers association, on the executive board of the California Association of Wine Grape Growers and president of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers. We are thrilled to have Hector on our team. Working alongside Leo, we know that Hector will bring something special to our vineyard program, and will help to ensure that the next three decades of our family-run vineyard are as fruitful as the past three.
Visit Our Tasting Room
We’d like to finish up this newsletter with an invitation to visit us at our Stuhlmuller Vineyards Tasting Room. Fall and winter are beautiful here along Soda Rock Lane. The pace is a little quieter, and Jacque really rolls out the red carpet. Jacque’s been with us for three years now, and she really sets the gracious, down-to-earth tone of our tasting experience—especially on cooler winter days, when she has lots of time to give our guests special attention. So come and try our new releases, have a picnic at our great round table, and soak in the vibe here along the Russian River. As always, our tastings are complimentary, and drop-ins are more-than welcome—though if you plan on bringing a large group or want to picnic on the patio, give Jacque a call at 707.431.7745. If you haven’t visited before, you’re in for a treat.
Thank you for your support, and happy holidays!
Fritz Stuhlmuller
New Release
2009 Alexander Valley Estate Zinfandel, Only 396 cases produced, get some while it lasts! Year after year our Zinfandel continues to be a quick sell out. Our ’08 Estate Zinfandel received 90 points from Robert Parker and the ’09 is sure to be as good or better! Come by the tasting room to try it along with our other fine wines. And, speaking of fine wines, check out our recent scores.
New Scores
Stuhlmuller Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay Alexander Valley Retail $24
Wine Enthusiast 91 Pts.
Made in the drier, leaner, earthier and more Chablisian style that’s increasingly popular, this Chardonnay is a natural for food pairings, such as shellfish. It’s a minerally wine, with elegant citrus, kiwi and pear flavors and a streamlined complexity. – S.H.
Robert Parker - 89 Pts.
A classic California Chardonnay showing notes of white peach, a bit of honey, and background oak, it is medium to full-bodied and possesses some interesting minerality. Pure and impeccably well-made, it is a delicious, full-throttle Maconnais style of Chardonnay to drink over the next several years.
Stuhlmuller Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay Reserve Alexander Valley Retail $38
Wine Spectator - 91 Pts.
Bright, rich, intense and vibrant, with a core of citrus-laced apple, pear, melon and tangerine flavors. Full-bodied, with lively acidity that carries the flavors. Drink now through 2016. 279 cases made. –JL
Robert Parker - 88 Pts.
This 2008 Reserve Chardonnay (a much more limited production wine) displays a stronger influence of French oak, slightly more tropical fruit, and hints of butterscotch. It is not necessarily a better Chardonnay, although it is certainly more beefed up and spicier due to the oak. The wine has more marmalade and honeysuckle notes, medium to full body, and lots of fruit. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.
Stuhlmuller Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Retail $38
Robert Parker - 90 Pts.
Loads of plum, black currant and cherry notes intermixed with underbrush and earth jump from the glass of the dark ruby/purple-colored 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. Alexander Valley Cabernet doesn’t get the respect it merits, as this wine demonstrates. Blueberry and raspberry notes are also there in this complex, exceptionally supple, round and generous Cabernet Sauvignon. It can be drunk now or cellared up to a decade.
Wine Enthusiast - 90 Pts.
For those looking for a leaner, earthier but still-stylish cabernet, this is the ticket. It’s very dry, with soft Alexander Valley tannins and flavors of blackberries, cherries and herbs. This elegant young wine could easily develop fascinating bottle complexities over the next 8-10 years. —S.H.
Online Ordering System
We have recently updated the online shopping cart on our website, log on to www.stuhlmullervineyards.com. and see how easy it is to have Stuhlmuller wines shipped directly to you. A reminder that we also have the availability to ship wines in a temperature controlled environment. You can enjoy Stuhlmuller wines throughout the warmer months without worrying about spoilage during the shipping process.
Extended Tasting Room Hours
The Tasting Room is now open Friday through Monday10:30a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Our tastings are still complimentary, and drop-ins are always welcome—though if you plan on bringing a large group or want to picnic on the patio, just give Jacque a call at 707.431.7745 or email at Jacque@stuhlmullervineyards.com so she can roll out the red carpet or put your name on one of our patio tables. You can enjoy a bottle or glass of wine with your picnic as you enjoy the gorgeous view. If you haven’t visited before, you’re in for a treat. As the only winery on Soda Rock Lane (which winds along beside the Russian River) we’re a little off the beaten path, but our wines, and our relaxed and friendly attitude have made us a local favorite among Alexander Valley insiders.
As I sit down to write this, we are experiencing one of the coldest growing seasons anyone can remember here in California. While temperatures are extremely high farther inland, all along the coast (which is where most of California’s great wine country is) nature’s air conditioner—made up of cool ocean fog and marine air currents—has kicked in, and is making things pretty chilly for this time of year. As a result, the growing season for most varietals is two or three weeks behind in almost every wine appellation, and winegrowers are turning to their Farmers’ Almanac and hoping for a nice hot finish to the year.
If all of this sounds a little gloomy, it’s really not so bad. Every vintage has its challenges, and curveballs. My family has been growing grapes on our vineyard for almost 30 years, and that makes a huge difference in how we respond to the needs of our estate. Because we know our vineyard so well, we started dropping some of our fruit and thinning canopies earlier this year and in greater amounts. This allows the plants to focus their energies on ripening fewer grapes, and careful canopy management allows more sun to hit the fruit.
Even so, 2010 will be a colder year. Is that a bad thing? We don’t think so. In fact, in many ways a colder growing season dovetails with the Stuhlmuller house style that our talented winemaker Leo Hansen has been refining for several vintages now. While we always strive for fruit expression in all of our wines, we also love beautiful aromatics, balance, structure and the kind of acidity that makes a wine a natural partner to food. In many ways, a cooler vintage can be ideal for creating a wine with that kind of harmony.
A New Baby
On a completely different note… If you think waiting for harvest is stressful, imagine also having a new baby girl due to arrive about the same time. That’s right, Juliann and I are expecting a new baby girl in October, and we couldn’t be more excited. As you may recall, Leo’s son Max was born last August, and our twins Otto and Lorelei were born in May of 2008. Maybe it’s something in the wine! Give us a few more years and we’ll have some free help in the vineyards.
Three Exceptional New Wines
Finally, I invite you to explore our latest trio of releases. Like all of our wines, they were crafted by Leo, and made exclusively from our own fruit. I think these are some of the best wines we have ever released and a beautiful expression of Stuhlmuller Vineyards winemaking.
I hope you enjoy the last lazy days of summer, and thanks for your continued support.
Best wishes,
Fritz Stuhlmuller
As I sit down to write this, the 2009 harvest has drawn to a close, and all the grapes are in our winery going through various stages of the winemaking process. The season got off to an exciting start with the arrival of our winemaker Leo Hansen’s first child, Max, on August 7. While winemakers generally endure a few sleepless nights during harvest, it’s safe to say, Leo has had more than his fair share this year. But before you start worrying that a sleep-deprived winemaker might be a cause for concern, consider the fact that this will be Max’s birth-year vintage—and that Leo is planning on laying down numerous cases of the 2009s for a long, patient slumber. Knowing this, I wouldn’t be surprised if these were the best wines Leo has ever made. With this in mind, I hope you will join me in raising a glass to Leo, Debbie and Max, and to the promise of great things to come!.
Happy Holidays!
Fritz Stuhlmuller
To read the entire Fall/Winter Newsletter, please click on the following link.
Click here to view the PDF.
It’s been seven years now since Leo Hansen joined the Stuhlmuller team, and five years since he became our winemaker. As those of you who have been on our mailing list for a while already know, our wines have just gotten better and better with Leo at the helm. Leo’s wines reflect a lushly elegant house style that captures the essence of our family-farmed estate vineyard. Not only are they great wines, we also believe they represent a great wine-drinking value. As a result, while we spent many years as one of the Alexander Valley’s best-kept secrets, with the help of our wonderful mailing list members, that secret has been getting out lately. As our way of saying thank you for your loyalty and support, we wanted to do something really special for our list members. With this in mind, we are pleased to offer you a 15% discount on any order of one case or more (includes mixed cases) and a 20% discount on orders of two cases or more. To make things even more exciting, this special offer also includes rare pre-release access to our amazing 2007 Estate Zinfandel and our highly anticipated 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (6-bottle limit per person). For a glimpse of just how good this wine is, check out the amazing scores below! We are pleased to make this offer available exclusively to our mailing list members.
All the best,
Fritz Stuhlmuller
To check out our amazing scores, please click on the link Below!
Click here to view the PDF.
Fritz C. Stuhlmuller