Stuhlmuller Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Red Wine

Stuhlmuller Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Alexander Valley, CA

95 pts. and Editors' Choice, Wine Enthusiast:

"This estate-grown wine is a great find and a great value. Rich black fruits and intricate oak spices form a compelling blend in this well-saturated, deep and complex wine. Moderate to full tannins support blueberries, new leather and ginger flavors that expand on the palate and linger on the finish. It will be best from 2027–2037."

If you love Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cabernet but aren't thrilled with the price, you need to try Stuhlmuller! Also made with grapes from the Alexander Valley, their vineyards are located next to the Russian River, near Healdsburg in Sonoma County. Considering the quality and deliciousness of this wine, it's an outright steal! - Wine Factor

FROM THE WINERY

VINEYARDS

Stuhlmuller Vineyards, located in southern Alexander Valley, converges with two highly regarded Sonoma County appellations, Chalk Hill and 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 and the rockier soils of the hillside sections.

THE CLONES

The fruit for this Cabernet emphasizes three clones, from seven separate blocks, with vines from 15 to 30+ years old. From the river benchland, we use our clone 337 for its fruit-forward black cherry flavors. Hillside clone 7 fruit adds floral layers and classic Cabernet cassis and cherry elements. Our oldest plantings, a field selection from the Belle Terre Vineyard, provide tannic concentration and blue fruit notes.

THE VINTAGE

After a wet spring that energized the vines, summer brought mild warm and dry weather that continued into autumn. Our vineyard set an average size crop, and thanks to a full canopy, we had ideal shade on the fruit. As a result, our vines produced pristine grapes, with excellent natural acidity, lovely balance, and pure varietal flavors. The moderate temperatures led to a relaxed picking of a crop of exceptional quality. We began harvesting our Cabernet on October 14th and were finished by October 17th with brix ranging from 24.5˚ to 25.7˚.

WINEMAKING

Our Cabernet harvest resulted in seven individual native fermentations, without any commercial yeast being added, in a mix of open-top and closed-top tanks. In the closed-top tanks, the must was pumped-over, which added to palate texture; while the open-top tanks had a punch-down regimen, which retained fruit intensity. The wine was racked to 45% new French oak and underwent spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Each lot was aged separately for 10 months before blending, with barrel aging for a total of 18 months.

THE WINE

The concentrated 2019 vintage has delivered everything we love in an Alexander Valley Cabernet, with aromas of blackberry, currant, and ripe plum. On the palate, the texture is big and juicy. Structured tannins add definition to the rich flavors of dark berries and crème de cassis, as well as layers of saddle leather, sweet oak, and spice. Ample natural acidity provides length and freshness.

PRODUCTION 1340 cases
RELEASE DATE Spring 2022
BOTTLED June 2021
ALCOHOL 14.3%
COMPOSITION 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
pH 3.79
TOTAL ACIDITY 5.6 g/l