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Stirm Wine Co. Cienega Valley Calcite 2024

$1999

Riesling (44%) Chardonnay (56%). Calcite is the predominate geologic parent material of the soils found in the Cienega Valley; it’s an ancient type of limestone which is extremely rare in CA. This wine represents the typicity of the region’s alkaline soils and the dynamic of the warm day/cold night diurnal shift climate, which balances ripeness and retained freshness. Grapes were hand-harvested over several passes between three different vineyards, from vines 25 to 60 years old. 24 hours of whole cluster maceration for the Riesling; and direct-press Chardonnay. No sulfur was added to allow the juice to oxidize. After a 36 hour cold settle in tank, the juice was racked off solids to other barrels for spontaneous ferment. The wine was sulfured post-fermentation, with élevage in barrel on lees. Racked off lees a month prior to bottling. Unfined, lightly filtered.

Shipping

Every step of the journey is managed to uphold the integrity of each bottle.

  • Nationwide Access: Flat-rate shipping available to most U.S. states with delivery in 3-5 business days.
  • Temperature-Monitored Shipping: We closely monitor weather conditions and make informed decisions to ensure shipments travel safely, with insulated packaging and refrigerated transport available when required.
  • Wine-Specific Protective Packaging: Specialized materials designed to maintain label integrity and prevent breakage during transit.
  • Provenance Assured: All wines are maintained in climate-controlled conditions at our shop until the moment of dispatch.

Returns & Exchanges

We stand behind every bottle we sell.

  • If the wine is less than 10 years old and it is corked, you may return it to us for a full refund or exchange within 60 days of purchase. You must show us proof of purchase. We understand that you may not live near a shop and that it is difficult to ship open bottles of wine to us, so if there's any problem feel free to Contact Us and we'll work it out.
  • For wines older than 10 years, the consumer bears the risk of a faulty cork, but we accept returns of older bottles if the wine is faulty as a result of improper storage. Please come by the store or Contact Us if there is a problem.
  • We may, at our discretion and to the extent permitted by law, accept returns of unopened wines within 30 days of purchase if they were properly stored by the purchaser, subject to a 15% re-stocking fee.

View our complete return policy →

Have Questions?

Our team is here to help.

Hours

Monday - Friday: 11am - 8pm

Saturday: 12pm - 5pm

CLOSED SUNDAYS

Email: help@flatiron-wines.com
Phone: (415) 780-1405


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More about Stirm Wine Co.

Since 2013 Ryan’s Stirm Wine Co. has been producing rieslings that are amongst the state's best. He does this by choosing extremely rugged vineyards, often with old vines that are dry farmed. Ryan, like everyone of our favorite winemakers, believes that the best wines are made in the vineyard and that is where you will usually find him.

He learned this vineyard first approach from his mentor, Justin Willett of Tyler Winery, where he worked for many years, as well as while working harvests abroad in Margaret River, Western Australia and in Austria's Wachau, with Weingut Tegernseerhof. It was there that he was bitten by the Riesling bug.

But it turns out that Riesling is a practical choice as well. It's drought-tolerant, buds late, has good heat tolerance, ripens late, has very high acidity, and has stylistic variation that few varieties can match. This allows him to produce wine as natural as possible with no synthetic chemicals in the vineyards and little intervention in the winery.

Some cuvées receive a tiny addition of sulfur. Ryan’s Rieslings are bright, fresh, complex and filled with mouthwatering acidity; hallmarks of the variety. Even when rich and unctuous, each cuvée floats on a lightning streak of mineral acidity. And while his winery is Riesling centric they make a handful of red wines that share that same vibrance. Even his Zinfandel is light and fresh with fruit that bounces on the palette.

We first encountered Ryan’s wines around the same time that he founded his winery. We've had the pleasure of watching his wines evolve. It was clear from this very first vintage that we were dealing with someone of unique talent with the potential to produce phenomenal wines. Over the last couple of vintages it’s become abundantly clear that this potential has been realized. He has helped usher the new age of California riesling and we can't wait to see what he does next.

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Chardonnay , Riesling , White Blend

  • Vintage

    2024

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Organic

  • Style

    Minerally

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Medium Bodied