Ink Grade is the largest biodynamic vineyard in Napa, located mostly in the Howell Mountain AVA. “But to [claim the AVA on a label], the fruit has to be grown above 1,400 feet,” explains Murphy. “There are about nine rows of vine that fall just below that benchmark, which is where we sourced this fruit. But it’s definitely a Howell Mountain-style wine.” A 2021 SHV Linda Falls cabernet sauvignon comes from property owned by Heitz Cellars. “As you taste between these two Howell Mountain-based wines, you’ll taste the difference between where these grapes are grown,” says Murphy. “That’s a story we enjoy telling with our style of winemaking.” She continues, “Ink Grade gets more of the sunlight, so you get more red fruit structure. As you go through the Linda Falls, you’ll get more of the darker, unctuous fruit tones.” Taste the estate Turning to estate fruit, a 2021 estate cabernet sauvignon steals the show. It’s sourced from the top of the property— the “crown cap” of the vineyard (going forward, this wine will be labeled Côte Rouge)—where there’s a strong iron component to the soil. Dark and velvety with Stony Hill’s signature minerality and an unexpected lift in the finish, there’s a bit of magic to this wine. We’re then treated to a taste of the same wine, only 10 years old (2015) so we can compare. Still complex and vibrant, it’s rounder and richer, with beef jerky and leather on the nose and a delicacy born of age. As I look around at the fine details of period-perfect restoration, I realize that, just like this enchanting time capsule, these wines are made to be enjoyed now… or in a decade (or more). a Did You Know? Fred McCrea was based in marketing before Stony Hill was born. He worked in the San Francisco branch of a firm called McCann Erickson, which was one of the big New York advertising firms that inspired Mad Men and is also mentioned often in the series as a competitor to Don Draper’s agency.
Stony Hill 3331 St Helena Highway North St. Helena, CA 94574 707-963-2636 Stonyhillvineyard.com
Thursday – Monday 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
T he directions might be enough to make you pause (up the hill, left at the roundabout, over the wooden bridge, right at the fork). But if you brave the winding single track through Bothe State Park, you’ll arrive at Stony Hill, where small welcoming touches (warm orange tea to sip on the short up-slope trek from guest parking to the tasting room, a personalized tasting package) set the tone for an intimate, well-curated experience. We start with a glass of estate chardonnay (light minerality, clean) as we tour the property. Bought by the McCrea family in 1943, the 163-acre property (43 under vine) is the northernmost winery within the Spring Mountain AVA; it rises above the valley floor starting at about 600 feet elevation to top out at close to 1,600 feet. Stony Hill became part of Lawrence Wine Estates in 2020. The Residence, as the tasting facility is known, used to be the McCreas’ private home. Today, it’s been painstakingly restored into a midcentury modern masterpiece: finishes, furnishings, decor and decorative elements celebrate the style and bring what could be an overdone gimmick to magical life. After a short tour that showcases stunning natural views and truly stunning interior design, we settle into the library, where a crackling fireplace warms us; our host and estate director Michaela Murphy opens the floor-to-ceiling glass doors to let petrichor permeate the room. SHV wines shine We start with 2021 SHV Ink Grade, a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon with power and structure. As a result of smoke influence from the 2020 wildfires, the winery looked to its sister properties to fulfill its 2021 and 2022 vintages (it also produced a small yield of estate wines in those two years).
Residence Experience Indulge in a wine tasting experience at The Residence. The Stony Hill team will guide guests through four current release wines while detailing the narrative of the property. Guests will be immersed in the vineyards with a curated walking tour of the home and its surrounding views. 90 minutes. $150 per person. Terroir Experience Journey through the historic vineyard from the comfort of a Lexus GX550 followed by a private tasting at The Residence. Enjoy five wines from a limited portfolio, with cheese and charcuterie to pair. For groups up to four guests; vineyard tour is weather dependent. 90 minutes. $350 per person. Taste of Stony Hill An introduction to the world of Stony Hill in a communal setting with up to six guests. Guided by a resident wine expert, a tasting journey through three current release wines. 90 minutes. $85 per person.
March 2025
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