2020 GRENACHE BLANC
Retail: $30
| GRAPE BLEND & SOURCE | 100% Grenache Blanc La Presa Vineyard |
| TECHNICAL SPECS | pH: 3.68 Acidity: 3.9 g/L Alcohol: 14.5% 4 months in 100% Stainless Steel (no oak) |
| TASTING NOTES | Delicate nose of pink grapefruit, lemongrass, and honeydew, accented by notes of green apple, apple pear and cloves. Light bodied with bright acidity on the palate, and notes of white pepper and white grapefruit leading to a dry, lingering finish. |
| WINEMAKING | The Grenache Blanc grapes were hand harvested in the early morning of October 1st, 2020 at La Pressa Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley, within 3 miles from Sunstone. The fruit was whole cluster pressed, settled in a chilled tank, racked off lees and the juice was fermented with Rhone specific yeast for 8 days. The wine was then bottled to 418 cases in February 2021. |
| FOOD PAIRING | Seared Ahi Tuna w/ garlic, lime-limon, miso, mustard, black sesame seed ponzu sauce over orange olive oil, balsamic tossed arugula. |
| CELLARING | The 2020 Grenache Blanc can be enjoyed now and for up to an additional 12-18 months if stored in proper conditions. It is not a candidate for long term aging. |
2020 HEART TREE Reserve
Retail: $45
| GRAPE BLEND & SOURCE | 65% Roussanne, 21% Marsanne, 14% Viognier La Presa and Bolton Vineyards, Los Olivos District |
| TECHNICAL SPECS | pH: 3.64 Acidity: 4.9 g/L Alcohol: 13% 12 months in 14% new/86% neutral French oak |
| TASTING NOTES | Delightful nose of pineapple, jasmine, and lemon zest accompanied by subtle aromas of toasted coconut and almonds. Light and round on the palate with notes of basil, cinnamon stick, green apple, and lemon butter leading to a crisp, citrusy finish. |
| WINEMAKING | In late January 2021, a massive rain and wind storm whipped through the Santa Ynez Valley, leaving a lot of destruction and debris in its path. Unfortunately, one of the storm's casualties was the beloved "Heart Tree" in the middle of our lawn. The loss of the Heart Tree was saddening as it had been the site of many proposals, nuptials, and photo memories. Given that this tree was such a big part of Sunstone history over the past 30 years, we decided to commemorate it with a Reserve wine. The grapes for the 2020 Heart Tree blend, all white Rhone varietals, come from two local, family-owned vineyards in the Los Olivos District of Santa Ynez Valley- La Presa and Bolton. The soil types that the vines are planted in are sandy loam and clay which offers a subtle minerality and cold, chalky character. The grapes were hand harvested in September 2020 and whole cluster pressed separately. The juice was transferred to stainless steel barrels and tanks for two days to settle, and then racked to stainless portable tanks for a 10-day fermentation using Rhone style yeast. The wine was racked off lees and barreled to 14% New French Oak, where it stayed until being bottled to 189 cases in August 2021. |
| FOOD PAIRING | Warm Rich Pork Cabbage Soup with Potatoes, Carrots and Tuscan Beans |
| CELLARING | The 2020 Heart Tree Reserve can be enjoyed now and for the next 12-24 months. It is not a candidate for long term aging. |
2019 MERLOT RESERVE, ESTATE
Retail: $65
| GRAPE BLEND & SOURCE | 100% Merlot Sunstone Estate Vineyard |
| TECHNICAL SPECS | pH: 3.68 Acidity: 5.0 g/L Alcohol: 14.4% 22 months in 30% new/70% neutral French oak |
| TASTING NOTES | Pleasant aromas of lavender, fresh plums and underripe blueberries are accented by spice and mineral notes. Fine-grained tannins combine with brisk acidity on the palate with notes of pink peppercorns, blackberry, molasses, Earl grey tea leaf and a lengthy finish. |
| WINEMAKING | The 2019 Merlot was hand harvested from Sunstone’s Estate Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley in mid to late October 2019. Each block of Merlot was fermented individually and later blended, beginning with trial blends to the final Merlot Estate blend. During harvest the grapes were crushed and transferred to a chilled tank for three days to settle and cold soak for extra extraction during the macerations from the pump overs and punch downs, helping the wine develop more body, character, pigment, aroma, texture, and overall balance. The juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and bins for 10-12 days and racked to 100% French oak barrels (30% new/70% neutral). The wine was aged for 22 months before being bottled to 535 cases in August 2021. |
| FOOD PAIRING | Moroccan Lamb Curry over a bed of jasmine rice seasoned with garlic, lemongrass, cilantro basil pesto with a side of roasted potatoes, bell peppers. |
| CELLARING | The 2019 Merlot Reserve, Estate can be enjoyed now and for an additional 8-12 years if stored in proper conditions. |
2019 PINOT NOIR, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Retail: $45
| GRAPE BLEND & SOURCE | 100% Pinot Noir Le Bon Climat Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley |
| TECHNICAL SPECS | pH: 3.67 Acidity: 5.9 g/L Alcohol: 14.3% 23 months in 15% new/85% neutral Burgundy French oak casks |
| TASTING NOTES | Earthy nose with notes of dried figs, cloves and dark plum and hints of raspberry and tobacco in the background. Tart character on the palate, including rhubarb and sour cherry notes mixed with red plums, leading to a minerally, earthy finish. |
| WINEMAKING | The grapes for our Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir were grown in a vineyard in northern Santa Barbara County that has soil consisting of cobble-studded loam, sandy loam, shale and clay which adds dry mineral notes to the wine. These soil types help to enhance the existing smoke, fruit and floral notes as well. The fruit was hand harvested, cold soaked for 3 days and then fermented for up to 12 days before pressing to oak barrel. This Pinot was aged in 15% new Burgundy French Oak and 85% neutral Burgundy oak casks for 23 months and bottled to 660 cases in August 2021. |
| FOOD PAIRING | Venison Steak w/caramelized onion, garlic, pine nuts and cherry tomato chutney over tarragon white truffle mashed potatoes |
| CELLARING | The 2019 SBC Pinot Noir can be enjoyed now and for the next 5-8 years if stored in optimal conditions. |
2019 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, SANTA YNEZ VALLEY
Retail: $45
| GRAPE BLEND & SOURCE | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Rancho Arroyo and Valley View Vineyards |
| TECHNICAL SPECS | pH: 3.79 Acidity: 6.6 g/L Alcohol: 14.6% 22 months in 28% new/72% neutral French oak |
| TASTING NOTES | Red and black fruit notes abound on the nose with character of boysenberry, dark plum, black currants, and raspberry leather with hints of espresso and cocoa nibs. Structured acidity and polished tannins on the palate with notes of blueberry, huckleberry, and cloves and a smooth finish. |
| WINEMAKING | Our 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon was hand harvested in late October 2019 from two different vineyards in Santa Ynez Valley. About 86% of the grapes came from Rancho Arroyo vineyard and 14% came from Valley View vineyard. The fruit from each vineyard was fermented individually and later blended beginning with trial blends to the final blend. During harvest the grapes were crushed and transferred to a chilled tank for three days to settle and cold soak for extra extraction during the macerations from the pump overs and punch downs, helping the wine develop more body, character, pigment, aroma, texture, and overall balance. The juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and bins for 14 days and racked to 100% French oak barrels (28% new/72% neutral), and then aged for 22 months before being bottled to 685 cases in August 2021. |
| FOOD PAIRING | Shredded Braised Beef Short Ribs over three Italian cheese grilled polenta and asparagus with grated black truffles |
| CELLARING | The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, SYV can be enjoyed now and for an additional 4-8 years if stored in proper conditions. |
2019 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, ESTATE
Retail: $65
| GRAPE BLEND & SOURCE | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Sunstone Estate Vineyard |
| TECHNICAL SPECS | pH: 3.87 Acidity: 5.6 g/L Alcohol: 13% 22 months in 30% new/70% neutral French oak |
| TASTING NOTES | Spice aromas and floral character on the nose with notes of blackberry, red currants, crushed peppercorns, and tobacco. Plush tannins and a smooth mouthfeel on the midpalate with abundant dark fruit notes and a rich, smoky finish. |
| WINEMAKING | Our 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was hand harvested from the Sunstone Estate in late October 2019. During harvest the grapes were crushed and transferred to a chilled tank for three days to settle and cold soak for extra extraction during the macerations from the pump overs and punch downs, helping the wine develop more body, character, pigment, aroma, texture, and overall balance. The juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and bins for 12 days and racked to tight-grain 100% French oak barrels (30% new/70% neutral) with M to M+ toasting, where it was aged for 22 months before being bottled to 95 cases in August 2021. |
| FOOD PAIRING | Spicy Bison Sweet Potato Skillet w/ Leeks, Fennel, Arugula, Habanero Peppers, Grilled Onions, Mushrooms over a Saffron Lime Garlic Basmati Rice. |
| CELLARING | The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate can be enjoyed now and for an additional 10-15 years if stored in proper conditions. |
2019 MALBEC RESERVE
Retail: $65
| GRAPE BLEND & SOURCE | 100% Malbec Valley View Vineyard |
| TECHNICAL SPECS | pH: 3.68 Acidity: 5.8 g/L Alcohol: 14.2% 22 months in a combination of French and American oak (25% new/75% neutral) |
| TASTING NOTES | Beautifully balanced nose of dark fruit, spice, and mineral character, highlighted by notes of dark cherry, boysenberry jam, pepper, and cloves. Chocolate, roasted coffee beans, and dark plum are showcased on the front and mid palate with notes of fig and tobacco leading to a long, gratifying finish. |
| WINEMAKING | The 2019 Malbec was hand harvested in mid-October 2019 from Valley View Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley, a hilltop vineyard that produces outstanding Bordeaux varietals. The grapes were crushed and transferred to a chilled tank for three days to settle and cold soak for extra extraction during the macerations of the pump overs in tank. The juice was fermented in stainless steel for 12-14 days and racked to a combination of 85% French and 15% American oak barrels, 25% of which were new. The wines were aged 22 months before being bottled to 269 cases in August 2021. |
| FOOD PAIRING | Grass-feed Beef Savory Tarts with Fennel, Shitake Mushroom, Grilled Onion, and Melted Manchego Cheese |
| CELLARING | The 2019 Malbec Reserve can be enjoyed now and for an additional 5-8 years if stored in proper conditions. |