Stuhlmuller Amber Block Pinot Noir

Since 1982, Stuhlmuller Vineyards has built a reputation as growers of world-class grapes, selling their coveted fruit to a number of top area wineries. By the mid-‘90s, Fritz Stuhlmuller was so inspired by the complex wines being made from his family’s vineyard that he established a small, artisan winery bearing the Stuhlmuller name. The vineyard’s unique terroir creates Chardonnay fruit with classic Alexander Valley tropical characteristics, food-friendly citrus acidity, and a distinctive mineral touch. The Cabernet Sauvignon offers enticing hints of sage and bay leaf coupled with the region’s signature flavors of rich cherry, black fruit, and cocoa. Stuhlmuller Vineyards also produces two highly sought-after Zinfandels, an Estate Sauvignon Blanc, and a delicious fortified Cabernet. 1880s - The rich history of the Stuhlmuller property goes all the way back to 1800’s mountain-man and rancher, Cyrus Alexander, for whom the Alexander Valley is named. Part of Alexander’s original 9000-acre ranch, today’s Stuhlmuller Vineyard has undergone many incarnations. Although grapes were likely planted on the property before 1900, Prohibition wiped out nearly all of the Valley’s vineyards and by the 1930s it was dotted with orchards and cattle pastures. 1982 - In 1982, Roger and Carmen Stuhlmuller purchased a 150-acre property located at the southwestern edge of the Alexander Valley. Impressed by the quality of the 90-acres of original 1970’s vine plantings, the Stuhlmullers realized the remarkable viticultural potential of the land. Bordered to the east by the Russian River, the vineyard is situated on a unique geological site that is part river bench and part hillside. There, the vines benefit from gravel, clay, and volcanic soils, formed during thousands of years of alluvial fan movement and flooding, as well as from rocky, uplifted benchland soils that comprise the hillside sections of the vineyard. These ancient soils combined with the area’s microclimates, including clockwork fog and cool nighttime temperatures, yield fruit with a signature mineral quality, good acidity, and complex flavors. 1996 - Over the years, Roger and Carmen, along with their son Fritz, have meticulously developed the vineyard into 150 acres of prized Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. The Stuhlmullers quickly established a reputation as growers of world-class grapes, supplying such notable wineries as Chateau Souverain and Simi with fruit. Fritz was so inspired by the complex, expressive wines being made from his family’s vineyard that in 1996, he established a small, artisan winery bearing the Stuhlmuller name. By 2000, Fritz had achieved his goal of turning Stuhlmuller Vineyards into an Estate winery by converting the historic barn on his property into a winemaking facility designed specifically for the fermentation of small lots of fruit. Today - While many wineries claim to be vineyard focused, as grape growers, this belief is a way of life for the Stuhlmullers. Committed to crafting superior wines from the finest blocks in the vineyard, the Stuhlmullers work side-by-side with their talented winemaking team. In 2019, Stuhlmuller Vineyards promoted Zac Childers from assistant winemaker to winemaker. Combining his formal training in viticulture and enology with his hands-on experience at such wineries as Torbreck, Alderbrook, Quivira, and J Vineyards, Zac is dedicated to capturing the rich, expressive character of the vineyard. Today, the Stuhlmuller family enjoys a dual reputation as first-class grape growers and as proprietors of a respected, sustainable vineyard-driven winery.