Stone Corral Vineyard is Stephen Ross’s estate vineyard, planted in 2001 exclusively to several Pinot Noir clones and rootstocks across a rolling, southeast-facing hillside in the Edna Valley. Located in the South Central Coast of California a few miles southeast of the town of San Luis Obispo, the valley lies at 35 degrees latitude and receives intense sunlight from a nearly overhead sun. The climate is strongly influenced by regular summertime afternoon cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean, creating ideal conditions for the kind of elegant, site-expressive Pinot Noir that has made the vineyard a cornerstone of the winery’s portfolio.

The California drought continued into the 2022 vintage, with the area receiving only twelve inches of rain during the preceding winter. Budbreak occurred mid-March, which is normal, and spring was cool and windy. In general, 2022 was a cool growing season, but several warm days in early September helped bring the Pinot Noir to a good level of maturity.