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Wine Description
The Story
The many rocks we found in the soil inspired the name of this parcel, which provides some of the most graceful and elegant fruit on the estate. It has a personality quite different from the rest of the Don Miguel Vineyard, slightly different soil profile (Sebastopol series, vs. Goldridge) and steep, sloping terrain. Planted with the Dijon 115 clone in 1997, this 3-acre block sits at the southernmost end of Don Miguel Vineyard and has the highest elevation, over 500 feet.
The organically grown vineyard is located in the Green Valley – the coolest, foggiest region of the Russian River, only ten miles from the Pacific. The European-style high density of over 2,000 vines per acre provides low yields and requires intensive labor; but the vines live longer and the grapes acquire better balance and greater concentration, as well as more elegance and finesse than with the traditional low density.
Wine Information
Production: 76 cases
The Vinification
The grapes were harvested September 21 and after minimal crushing, they were vinifi ed in small stainless steel tanks, with no whole clusters. The wine was aged in premium French oak barrels, 33% new, coopered by Remond from Bertrange and Rousseau from the center of France. After 10 months of aging the wine was bo! led, unfi ned and unfi ltered, in August 2012.
Tasting Notes
This vintage of Stony Block displays bright fruit reminiscent of cranberries, raspberries and orange peel, with the classic notes of roasted coff ee beans, forest fl oor and earth that are characteristic of this bo! ling. There is an engaging minerality on the palate, which is focused and balanced, with fi rm tannins that predict a long aging potential.