SONOMA | California
Martha Stoumen Wines was founded upon the desire to recapture a farming and winemaking culture that has all but faded away: a winemaking culture of patience.
After 8 years apprenticing around the world, Martha set out as a self-funded, first generation winemaker to answer the question, “What does California taste like?” In this little corner of Northern California, Mediterranean grapes thrive and healthy vineyards allow for the creation of joyful balanced wines. The wines are made from unexpected varietals and offer new takes on California classics. They do things the right way even if it’s not the easy. Of the nearly two dozen wines we make every year, blends and flavours change but the desire to share the simple pleasures of natural wine remains the same.
~2021 POST FLIRTATION WHITE~
36% Marsanne, 34% Roussanne, 16% Vermentino, 14% Muscat blanc.
Marsanne, Roussanne, and Muscat blanc tumbled in the press to get just a hint of skin contact before pressing, then co-fermented and aged on fine lees in stainless steel. Vermentino pressed immediately and fermented separately in stainless steel. Racked, blended, and bottled after 6 months. Unfined. Unfiltered. Sediment expected.
In 2021 Colombard was swapped out for Vermentino, rounding out the slightly salty profile of this wine with just a touch of lemon skin oil—like your wine glass got a twist. Aromatics from the Muscat blanc in the aromatic co-ferment show through with sticky white florals and Muscat’s beautiful, lover’s perfume.
POST FLIRTATION WHITE | 12 x 750ml | SKU #511145 | $33.61
~2021 POST FLIRTATION ROSÉ~
88% Zinfandel, 12% Vermentino.
Zinfandel pressed immediately, settled overnight, and then racked off gross lees. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. Vermentino foot tread for a quick bit of skin contact before going into the press, then fermented and aged in neutral vessels on fine lees. Unfined. Lightly filtered before blending and bottling. Sediment expected.
Watermelon agua fresca and red clay on the nose. Lemon curd, acacia, and prickly pear on the palate, and a precise dry finish. Absolutely refreshing alone but also a great food rosé.
POST FLIRTATION ROSÉ | 12 x 750ml | SKU #396393 | $34.86
~2021 POST FLIRTATION RED~~
55% Zinfandel, 34% Pinot noir, 8% Carignan, 3% Petite Sirah.
Zinfandel (100% destemmed), Pinot noir, Carignan and Petite Sirah (100% whole-cluster, stems intact); fermented separately and aged in both stainless steel and neutral oak barrique for 6 months. Unfined. Lightly filtered before blending and bottling. Sediment expected.
Pomegranate juice and juicy like hibiscus agua fresca. Aromas of Himalayan black salt and wild sage radiate from the glass.
POST FLIRTATION RED | 12 x 750ml | SKU #396396 | $34.86
~2021 NERO D’AVOLA ROSATO~
Whole clusters, foot tread for an overnight maceration on skins before pressing the following day. Fermented and aged separately in neutral tanks. Unfined. Unfiltered. Sediment expected.
Fresh-baked strawberry rhubarb pie.
NERO D’AVOLA ROSATO | 12 x 750ml | SKU #422681 | $42.79
~2021 VARIETALLY INCORERECT ZINFANDEL~
Whole clusters sealed in a tank for two days (semi-carbonic maceration). After opening the tank, a mixture of punchdowns and pump overs were used to gently extract tannin. Pressed prior to dryness and aged in neutral oak barrique for 5 months. Unfined. Unfiltered.
Rhubarb, red currant and a whole lot of balanced fruit.
VARIETALLY INCORERECT ZINFANDEL | 12 x 750ml | SKU #422546 | $44.77
~2021 MENDOCINO BENCHLANDS~
38% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 17% Nero d’Avola, 16% Carignan, 4% Valdiguié, 4% Colombard.
Zinfandel, both Petite Sirahs, and Nero d’Avola were each fermented separately in small batches while the Carignan, Valdiguié, and Colombard grapes were harvested and co-fermented as one lot (red and white grapes together!). The components were kept separate after pressing and aged in neutral oak barrique and larger 500L puncheons. Racked, blended, and bottled after 5 months. Unfined. Unfiltered. Sediment expected.
Aromas of sarsaparilla and cherry cola, a buoyant texture, and notes of orange, cinnamon and tart cherry.
MENDOCINO BENCHLANDS | 12 x 750ml | SKU #511150 | $36.41
~2019 YOUNG VINES LONG ELEVAGE~
Zinfandel-related clones.
Harvested together and co-fermented whole cluster in an open-top stainless steel tank. During early stages of fermentation, gentle body punch-downs and short pump-overs were used in order to limit extraction. We performed a délestage ~2/3 through fermentation. Close to dryness, a seal was placed on the tank to begin an extended maceration. After a month total on stems and skins, the tank was pressed, and the wine was racked to neutral oak barrels. Vermentino was gently foot tread before pressing. Juice was racked to stainless steel to begin fermentation. The wine was twice racked off its lees, once after a very active 12 day fermentation, and again when fermentation was complete. The wine continued to age in neutral Flextank for 9 months before a splash was added to the 2019 Young Vines blend. The initial release of 2019 Young Vines was kept in barrel for 9 months before racking and final blending; for the extended elevage series, we selected 10 barrels to continue to age for 18 months in total in neutral French oak barrels before bottling.
Wild blackberry, baking spice, and ancho chili — plus lemon zest from the splash of Vermentino — gives you everything you want Zinfandel to smell like (but it rarely does). A generous body is balanced by moderate acidity and characteristically fine, dusty tannins