Sommelier-beloved Chardonnay with a valley-view chaser.
Oaks, Douglas firs, and other trees line the narrow road north of downtown St. Helena that winds west from Highway 29 through parts of two state parks up to Stony Hill Vineyard. Fred and Eleanor McCrea, who purchased this former goat farm on the eastern slope of Spring Mountain during World War II, first planted grapes here in 1948.
Most of the vineyard blocks face north or east. During the summer, shade from the mountain comes early in the afternoon in some spots, making the setting a natural for the cultivation of white grapes like Chardonnay, Riesling (shown in lead photo), and Gerwürztraminer. Now thick and gnarly, some Riesling vines planted in the 1940s continue to produce grapes for Stony Hill’s refreshing White Riesling.
Beloved Chardonnay
As good as the White Riesling is, Stony Hill’s mineral-driven, sommelier-beloved Chardonnay sealed the winery’s reputation. Fred McCrea and, from 1977 through 2018, his successor, Mike Chelini, crafted these two whites, plus Gewürztraminer and a Semillon dessert wine, in a small, atmospheric winery equipped with oak barrels dating back to the 1960s. Jaimee Motley became the winemaker following the winery’s purchase in late 2020 by a group focused on Napa Valley legacy wineries. The wines are made elsewhere now.
A good-weather tasting might take place on a stone terrace with views east across the Napa Valley to Howell Mountain. Sessions often begin with a current-release Chardonnay and include Cabernet Sauvignons from estate and other grapes.
Why go: ageworthy whites; Cabernet Sauvignons; Spring Mountain setting.
Itinerary
Stony Hill Vineyard appears in 3 Historic Napa Valley Wineries Day Trip.
Info
3331 St. Helena Hwy. N, St. Helena 94574
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This story first appeared in 2019; it was most recently updated in 2024.
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