Dear Members and  Guests,

The short break we took following harvest was timed perfectly as we welcomed my new daughter, Ophelia, to the Pope family. She is doing fantastic and we so appreciate all your kind wishes. After a little rest we moved into early spring activities topping the wines in barrel and literally spring cleaning every corner of the winery.

Bottling activity commenced with the 2019 aromatic wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Rosé) which many of you are beginning to explore as I write this to you. The 2018 Estate and Reserve Chardonnays are showing nicely and I’ve begun to make them available too. To learn more about them here are links to my notes for each-- 2019 Gewürztraminer, 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Rosé and 2018 Chardonnay.

The 2019 Pinot Noirs, Syrahs, and Chardonnays, (Estate and Reserve) are currently at the midpoint of their barrel aging journey, with malolactic fermentations finishing up as we speak. This stabilizes the wines and smoothes their mouthfeel. During this sensitive time I am continually climbing the barrel racks to taste their progression. It is such a rewarding time for me because the wines begin to open and show each of their distinctive personalities, revealing more of their aromatics and tasting the potential of the vintage. What I’m seeing gives all of us something to be excited about! We look forward to bottling these wines in August, just before harvest begins again.

My husband, Lucas Pope, manages the vineyards for us at Stolo. He just completed his early April inspection of the farm and has this to share, if you’re interested (read more).

From my family to yours, we hope you are all safe and finding new ways to enjoy each other.

Nicole Pope
Winemaker - Stolo Vineyards