CELEBRATING HARVEST & OUR NEW WINEMAKER
We are in the home stretch of Harvest season here in the Santa Ynez Valley! Throughout the year, our vines have benefitted from a long, consistent growing season characterized by a milder-than-normal summer with few major heat events, allowing for slow, measured ripening of the grapes.
As October unfolds with that telltale autumn chill, we are nearing completion of the 2025 Harvest over the next couple weeks. All of our white grapes have already made their journey from vine to tank, and they’re settling in beautifully. Now all eyes are on our Estate reds, which are soaking up these final warm days and cool nights to develop those rich, complex flavors we love.
We can’t wait to share these wines with you in the coming years. In the meantime, we have some major announcements to share with you!
Welcome Our New Winemaker
Just before the start of this year’s Harvest, we welcomed our new Director of Winemaking, Michael Miroballi, to the Sunstone family! Michael succeeds Brittany Rice, who led our winemaking team from 2019 through this summer when she embarked on a new entrepreneurial journey.
Michael is a Santa Ynez Valley native with more than 16 years of winemaking experience. Known for blending artistry with precision, he creates wines that reflect both elegance and terroir. His career includes nearly a decade as Head Winemaker at Margerum Wine Company, where his wines achieved multiple Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast Top 100 accolades.
You will be able to taste the first of Michael’s Sunstone wines beginning in February with the release of our 2025 Sauvignon Blanc. In the meantime, during your next visit to the tasting room he may just stop by your table to say ‘hello’ or share his passion and knowledge that embody the pride and heritage of the Santa Ynez Valley!
Join Us at the Estate This Fall
There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the Fall season at the Sunstone Estate, with a full calendar of upcoming events. We look forward to raising a glass with you at the following events!
- October 25th: Halloween Movie Night: The Addams Family
- November 1st: Sunstone’s 4th Annual Haunted Ball
- November 7th: Fall Member Pickup Party
- November 7th to 9th: Fall Club Release Weekend
- November 28th to December 1st: Black Friday Weekend: Our Biggest Sale of the Year
- December 13th & 14th: Sunstone’s Annual Holiday Market
Your Fall Shipment
On to the details of your next wine club shipment!
All Founder’s Club members will receive the newly released 2023 Estate Merlot, one of our four signature wines, as well as the 2021 Carmelo, rated 93 Points and named Editors’ Choice by Wine Enthusiast, and the 90-Point rated 2021 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills. Members that have chosen the Mixed option will also receive the new 2024 Symphonie white Rhone-style reserve blend.
Thank you again for your continued support. Read below for more details on all the wines in your upcoming release. Cheers!
Symphonie
Retail: $35
| Grape Blend and Source | 78% Viognier, 22% Picpoul Blanc Valley View and Nolan Vineyards, Santa Barbara County |
|---|---|
| Technical Specs | pH: 3.52 Acidity: 5.8 g/L Alcohol: 14.2% 9 months in 100% French oak |
| Case Production | 151 |
| Tasting Notes | An enchanting white blend that captivates with aromas of caramelized pear, lemongrass, white flower blossom, dried apricot, nectarine, and white peach. On the palate, this wine reveals layers of honeyed stone fruit, tropical notes, and subtle floral elegance. The texture is silky and refined, with balanced acidity leading to a lingering finish of citrus and orchard fruits. This harmonious marriage of Viognier's lush body and Picpoul Blanc's crisp minerality creates a wine of both depth and finesse. |
| Winemaking Notes | The 2024 Viognier and Picpoul Blanc grapes were hand-harvested from Valley View and Nolan Vineyards, our trusted partner vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The fruit was pressed whole-cluster separately to preserve delicate aromatics and allowed to cold settle for three days. Each varietal was then barrel and tank fermented independently before being carefully blended. The wine was aged sur lie to complete secondary malolactic fermentation, enhancing texture and complexity while maintaining the bright, fresh character these varietals are known for. This meticulous approach resulted in a wine that showcases the unique terroir of Santa Barbara County. |
| Food Pairing | Pan-seared Halibut with Meyer lemon beurre blanc, accompanied by roasted asparagus and herbed couscous with toasted almonds and dried apricots |
| Cellaring | The 2024 Symphonie can be enjoyed now and for the next 2-3 years while its vibrant fruit and floral characteristics remain at their peak. Best consumed while fresh to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity. |
Merlot, Estate
Retail: $70
| Grape Blend and Source | 100% Merlot Sunstone Estate Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley |
|---|---|
| Technical Specs | pH: 3.69 Acidity: 5.4 g/L Alcohol: 13.6% 21 months in 100% French oak (20% new, 20% two-year-old, 60% neutral barrels) |
| Case Production | 962 |
| Tasting Notes | This elegant Estate Merlot reveals captivating aromas of red plum, rose petals, and dried flowers, interwoven with notes of subtle black tea, currants, and blackberry. On the palate, the wine is refined and graceful, displaying soft tannins and balanced acidity that frame flavors of ripe red fruit, dark berries, and hints of baking spice. The mouthfeel is silky and approachable, with a finish that lingers with echoes of plum, tea leaf, and gentle oak. This is a Merlot that showcases both the varietal's inherent elegance and the distinctive character of our estate vineyard. |
| Winemaking Notes | The 2023 Estate Merlot was hand-harvested from our Sunstone Estate vineyard over the course of two weeks, allowing each block to reach optimal ripeness. Individual vineyard blocks were fermented separately in open-top fermenters with gentle punch-downs by hand to extract color and tannin while maintaining elegance. Each lot was then barreled separately in a combination of 40% new and 60% neutral French Oak barrels. After 13 months of aging, the wine was carefully blended and returned to barrel for an additional 8 months before bottling. This extended élevage and thoughtful barrel program resulted in a wine of remarkable balance and complexity that truly expresses our estate terroir. |
| Food Pairing | Herb-crusted lamb chops with rosemary demi-glace, served with roasted root vegetables and creamy polenta finished with aged parmesan |
| Cellaring | The 2023 Estate Merlot can be enjoyed now for its fresh fruit character or cellared for 5-8 years to develop additional complexity and tertiary notes. With proper storage conditions, this wine will continue to evolve gracefully. |
Carmelo
93 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Retail: $70
| Grape Blend and Source | 68% Cabernet Franc, 22% Syrah, 10% Grenache |
|---|---|
| Technical Specs | pH: 3.76 Acidity: 5.2 g/L Alcohol: 14.3% 23 months in 25% new French oak, 20% new American oak, and 55% neutral oak |
| Case Production | 368 |
| Tasting Notes | This distinctive blend of Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Grenache is both fresh and serious, starting with vibrant aromas of boysenberry and blueberry that are balanced by a crushed rock minerality. That mineral tension holds firm through the sip, where blueberry and lilac flavors align with remarkable precision. The wine showcases the harmonious marriage of Bordeaux and Rhône varietals, creating a unique expression that is both structured and elegantly aromatic. Layers of dark fruit, floral notes, and distinctive minerality unfold on the palate, leading to a finish that is both powerful and refined. |
| Winemaking Notes | Sunstone's 2021 Carmelo blend brings together three varietals—one Bordeaux varietal and two Rhône-style varietals—sourced from six exceptional vineyard sites across Santa Barbara County and Paso Robles. All varietals were hand-harvested between September and October 2021. Our team crushed the fruit individually, fermenting each lot separately to preserve varietal character, then blended the wine in February 2022. For the fermentations, we used an assortment of yeasts including D80, BM45, and Rhône 4600, along with carefully selected nutrients to balance the layers and complexity. Each of these yeast strains provides unique texture and character to enhance the wine's full-bodied potential, contributing sensory notes of dark berry, star anise, black pepper, espresso, while also adding to the floral, spice, and fruit aromatic balance. The wine was aged in 25% new French Oak barrels, 20% new American Oak, and 55% neutral oak. The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation to reduce sharp malic acidity and create a rounder mouthfeel. Our 2021 Carmelo was bottled in December 2022. |
| Food Pairing | Braised Beef Stew with Carrots, Leeks, Onions, Collard Greens, Potatoes and Tomatoes |
| Cellaring | The 2021 Carmelo can be enjoyed now for its vibrant fruit and mineral character, or cellared for 5-7 years to develop additional complexity and tertiary notes. With proper storage conditions, this wine will continue to evolve gracefully, revealing deeper layers of spice, earth, and aged fruit characteristics. |
Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills
90 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Retail: $45
| Grape Blend and Source | 100% Pinot Noir Spear Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills CCOF-Organic Certified |
|---|---|
| Technical Specs | pH: 3.78 Acidity: 5.3 g/L Alcohol: 15.5% 18 months in 15% new French oak and 85% neutral French and American oak |
| Case Production | 650 |
| Tasting Notes | This expressive Pinot Noir reveals intriguing aromas of smoked meat, stewed berry, and a pinch of herb on the nose. The wine shows remarkable structure with high acidity that cuts through flavors of baked plum and toasted herb, creating a dynamic interplay between fruit and savory elements. The combination of multiple clones from the certified organic Spear Vineyard brings complexity and depth to this distinctive Sta. Rita Hills expression. Layers of red and dark fruit are complemented by subtle oak influence and earthy minerality, leading to a finish that is both vibrant and satisfying. |
| Winemaking Notes | Grapes for the 2021 Pinot Noir, SRH come from the certified CCOF-Organic Spear Vineyard located in the renowned Sta. Rita Hills appellation. A mixture of Dijon, Wädenswil, and Pommard clones were hand-harvested and gently de-stemmed, with each clone fermented separately to preserve its unique characteristics. Upon completion of fermentation, the lots were drained and gently pressed off the skins, then aged separately for seven months before being carefully assessed for final blending. This meticulous approach allowed our winemaking team to evaluate each component at its peak before creating the final blend. The wine was then blended and returned to barrel to continue aging in a combination of 15% new French oak and 85% neutral French and American oak for a total of 18 months before being bottled in March 2023. This extended barrel aging developed complexity while maintaining the bright, pure fruit character that makes Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir so distinctive. |
| Vineyard Terroir | The Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara County AVA soils feature sedimentary stone and calcareous soil consisting of limestone, shale, sandy loam, clay loam, clay, and chert. These diverse, mineral-rich soils offer the wine a subtle chalky and earthy note that adds complexity to the layers of the wine, contributing to its distinctive sense of place. |
| Food Pairing | Duck Confit with cherry-port reduction, served alongside wild mushroom risotto and roasted root vegetables with fresh thyme |
| Cellaring | The 2021 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills can be enjoyed now for its vibrant acidity and expressive fruit, or cellared for 5-8 years to develop additional complexity and savory characteristics. With proper storage conditions, this wine will continue to evolve, revealing deeper earth tones and integrated spice notes over time. |
