Stone Cellars Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled pork chops, classic spaghetti bolognese, medium-aged cheeses like cheddar or gouda
✨ Technical Specifications
Named in honor of the historic, hand-crafted stone cellars built by the Beringer brothers in the late 19th century, Stone Cellars Merlot represents an approachable, fruit-forward expression of California's viticultural bounty. Crafted to showcase the friendly, soft-textured side of the Merlot grape, this wine typically sources fruit from select vineyards across California's sun-drenched valleys. The winemaking process emphasizes immediate accessibility, utilizing temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation to preserve vibrant primary fruit aromas, followed by gentle aging with oak to impart subtle notes of baking spice and vanilla. The result is a smooth, medium-bodied red defined by lush flavors of black cherry, red plum, and a hint of cocoa, carrying forward the pioneering spirit of Beringer in an everyday, crowd-pleasing style.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1876 by brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer, Beringer Vineyards holds the distinction of being California's oldest continuously operating winery, situated in the heart of St. Helena in Napa Valley. Pioneers of early Napa winemaking, the Beringer brothers engineered hand-dug limestone caves and gravity-fed cellars to craft refined, ageworthy wines. Today, owned by Treasury Wine Estates, the historic estate maintains an uncompromising dedication to site-specific viticulture across prime Napa Valley and Knights Valley terroirs. Beringer is internationally celebrated for its flagship Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, alongside complex single-vineyard expressions and botrytized dessert wines like Nightingale.