“Wild and exciting…” – Wine Enthusiast

Oof. Serious Tolosa vibes here. 94 points and how much off?! Who IS this, Stephen Ross?

We learned from Vinous that “Although this winery has been producing top-notch wines since Stephen Ross Dooley set up shop in San Luis Obispo back in 1994, it continues to fly under most wine lovers’ radar. That’s probably a function of the relatively small output and strong local and direct-to-consumer demand. The wines have power, but they are also balanced and, in my experience, age quite well, especially the Pinot Noirs, which are consistently among the best in the region.”

There it is. Explains why we went CRAZY over this Pinot out of left field.

The vineyard though, should sound familiar to coastal California Pinot insiders. Vinous again explains, “Stephen Dooley’s Stone Corral Vineyard, which he planted in 2001, is best-known to many people for the outstanding Pinot Noir bottling produced by Talley Vineyards. Dooley’s own wines are some of the great examples being made in California today… While new oak (usually in the 40% to 50%), does play a pretty big part of the wines’ style, I never find it intrusive, thanks no doubt to the reliable fruit intensity. In addition, the wines can age with ease.”

A plush, opulently layered style showcasing ripe notes of raspberries, strawberries, underbrush, spice, and hints of candied orange peel. Beautifully textured, balanced, with bright acidity, and starting to age beautifully, it nevertheless has the class to evolve for 10-15 years or more. We’ll confess, had no idea who Stephen Ross was until this beauty came into our world. We could not stop pouring it around!

Back to Vinous, “Some of the Central Coast’s most under-the-radar, top-notch Pinot Noirs over the last couple of decades have been made by Stephen Dooley. Recent vintages have seen the quality step up even higher…”

Higher quality means higher price. At $72, this is quite the value. At our $29 though, it’s a SMASH THAT CHECKOUT BUTTON and stuff your Lockers kinda priority.

94 Points – Wine Enthusiast “Wild and exciting if slightly untethered aromas of pomegranate, raspberry, damp sagebrush and a light funk draw the nose into this bottling. The palate lands with more bold fruit and flower flavors, as raspberry, currant and lavender are dusted in a white pepper spice.”

93 Points – Vinous “The 2022 Pinot Noir Stone Corral Vineyard is a dense, powerful wine. Black cherry, lavender, rose petal, dried herbs and blood orange are some of the many notes that inform this brooding Pinot. There’s plenty of energy, but most of it is directed inward. Drink 2024-2032.”