This delicate opulent fortified wine strikes an excellent balance ofacidity,alcohol,and sweetness and is ideal as an aperitif with, for example,your favorite Manchego cheese, or with dessert. It displays aromas of orange blossom and marmalade,which are confirmed on the palate,along with more complex flavors of fig,caramelized walnut,toffee,and hardcandy flavors. With its luscious texture, this wine glides across the palate to a long flowing finish.It may be served slightly chilled and is perfect for warming up winter evening.
Stuhlmuller Vineyards is located at the southern edge of the Alexander Valley, where it converges with two other highly regarded Sonoma County appellations, Chalk Hill and the Russian River Valley. On its eastern edge, the 150-acre vineyard borders the Russian River. Situated in a location that is part river benchlands and part hillside, the vineyard benefits from its alluvial gravel soils, as well as the rockier soils of the hillside sections.
Crafted in the style and tradition of a great Port, this special limited- production wine was made exclusively from our estate grapes, with a focus on Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the hillside sections of our vineyard. The wine was fermented in small 1 to 2 ton wooden fermenters using the traditional pigeage method of foot treading. Fermentation was arrested with the addition of barrel-aged brandy, and the wine was transferred to 10% new American oak and 90% French oak barrels for an average of four years of aging.
Crafted ina similarstyle and traditionas theMoscatelwines ofPortugal,thisspecial limited-productionwinewas made exclusively from ourEstateClone 809 Chardonnaygrapes, which shows some beautiful intensemuscat characteristics.The whole-clustergrapeswere foottreadedtorelease juice forskin contact, which was a period of several hours.Afterpressing, thejuicewassettled in tankfor 48 hoursbefore being transferredtoFrenchoak barrels.Fermentation was arrested with the addition ofbarrel-aged brandy, and the wineaged inbarrel for ten years
