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"Chablis-like chardonnay with no oak - a somewhat atypical wine in today's supercharged chardonnay world."
2009 Stony Hill Chardonnay |
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Our 2009 vintage is a perfect example of the winemaker’s art. Mike Chelini has been crafting Chardonnay at Stony Hill for thirty-nine years, always bringing out the essential characteristics of our hillside grown grapes. The aromas of green apples and citrus that greet you are unmistakable. As the wine opens up, the fresh fruit on your tongue is joined by the flinty, earthy quality that the vines drink up from our stony soils and impart to the grapes themselves. As time goes by these flavors will meld and mellow into an elegant, integrated whole. The mouth feel is vibrant followed by a lingering fruit-filled aftertaste. Our 2009 Chardonnay will age naturally in the bottle over a period of ten or more years from a fresh, clean fruity wine to one of remarkable richness and depth. |
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Tech Details
| Farming: | Dry Farmed | Age of Vines: | 18-26 years |
| Appellation: | Napa Valley | Varietal: | Chardonnay |
| Grapes: | 100% grown, produced and bottled at Stony Hill Vineyard | Harvest Date: | September 4 - September 14 |
| Fermentation Time: | 2 weeks in 5-25-year-old barrels | Fermentation Temp: | 60 degrees |
| Aging Time: | 10 months in old French Oak | Filtering: | Filtered to remove yeast and inhibit malolactic fermentation |
| Bottling Date: | June 4, 2010 | Total Acidity: | .65 |
| Residual Sugar: | Dry | Alcohol: | 13% |
| pH: | 3.44 | Aging Potential: | 5 years + |
| Production: | 2,500 | Release Date: | September 2011 |
| Price at Winery: | $42.00/bottle |
Press
May 1st, 2010
The Place | Noshing in Napa
2007 Stony Hill Chardonnay
January 31st, 2011
Hot Picks
2007 Stony Hill Chardonnay
Lots of California winemakers are talking about changing their style to feature lower alcohol and less oak. Stony Hill started building California's reputation for Chardonnay nearly 50 years ago, and its approach has never changed: careful handling of the fruit and hand-off winemaking. In this version, the purity and depth of character that come only from older vines will impress even the most diehard white Burgundy fans.
November 1st, 2010
Vine Dining: America's Best Wine Country Restaurants
2006 Stony Hill Chardonnay
"...and the more balanced among them - such as a 2006 Stony Hill..."
April 30th, 2010
Hot Picks
2006 Stony Hill Chardonnay
"The result is a brilliantly defined wine, redolent of fresh green apple and pear, with crisp mineral notes and a clean, lean finish."
July 2nd, 2008
Ten Independence Day Wines
2005 Stony Hill Chardonnay
"...and then there is Stony Hill, which has been saying all along that there's a better way."
"...the wine is kept crisp and acidic, not made overly rich and smooth."
November 26th, 2003
The Chardonnay that Blazed the Trail
Stony Hill Chardonnay
"Half a centry ago, Stony Hill put the quintessential California wine on the map. Today, it's still going strong."
April 25th, 2001
Chardonnay Finds Its Inner Finesse
Stony Hill Chardonnay
"But there is another California Chardonnay, produced by a small band of winemakers who have held out against the big and buttery style. Using and older style of winemaking, they are producing a crisper, more lively chardonnay, one that sacrifices showy power in favor of steely subtlety."
June 1st, 2006
Saveur Issue #94: Chardonnay Royalty
Stony Hill Chardonnay
"From modest beginnings came "America's greatest white wine estate"
March 20th, 2003
Better With Age - Stony Hill's Chardonnays Stand the Test of Time
Stony Hill Chardonnay
April 16th, 2003
Napa's Un-California Chardonnay
Stony Hill Chardonnay
"These Stony Hills were remarkable wines, in the classic Burgundian tradition: elegant; intense fresh taste, thanks to good acid levels; and that delicious bite the French call nerveux. Alcohol levels were reasonable, and the wines had just enough oak in the finish to enhance rather than overpower."
January 26th, 2011
The New/Old California Wines: Lower-Scoring and Highly Delicious
Stony Hill Chardonnay
"But not every winery in California has conformed to the critics’ tastes. Despite the threat of low scores, there are some locals who’ve never gone for the big fruit bombs. Stony Hill..., make wines as they always have—with restraint. These wines might be less flashy and thus are at a disadvantage in a critic’s blind tasting, but they’re food-friendly and elegant."
May 24th, 2010
Stony Hill Vineyard, "age, dignity, and place"
Stony Hill Chardonnay
