  October 14, 1999
Napa Valley cult wines attract a religious following, fanatic prices by George Starke
... The wines are listed alphabetically, except for two wines: the Heitz Martha's Vineyard and the Stony Hill Chardonnay, which must be grandfathered into any cult wine list because of their long history of definitive great cabernets and chardonnays from Napa Valley. They belong at the top of the list, and I have put them there...
Jim Laube, in his definitive tome on California Chardonnays, wrote, "the wine is legendary among connoisseurs of California wine.
They are truly magnificent wines, impeccably balanced, rich, intense, and perfumed, able to age as if trapped in a time warp." The first release of Stony Hill Chardonnay was 1952. Today, 80 percent of the wine is sold to the 3,800 people on the mailing list.
The remaining 20 percent goes to selected restaurants and retail stores, nationwide. The winemaker is Mike Chelini. The current price for a 750 ml bottle is $24.
The highest price ever paid for a Stony Hill Chardonnay was $26,000 for six magnums at the Napa Valley Wine Auction. |
