STiRM: Minimal Intervention, Maximum Value
Wines that offer great value are a key focus for me whenever making buying decisions at K&L. Sure, some folks' definition of value might be quite different than mine, and not all great wines can necessarily be cheap. However, there’s something so satisfying when you find a wine that is just darn delicious for a great price. Even better (at least in my opinion) is when that delicious wine also happens to come from a small artisanal producer, hand-crafting wines from interesting vineyards in a non-interventionist style, with a great sense of place and authentic purity. This is exactly what I find in the wines of Ryan Stirm.
A few weeks back our Redwood City sales team took a road trip down to Cienega Valley in San Benito County. This somewhat-remote, off-the-beaten-path wine region is steeped in history with many old vineyards and complex limestone and granite soils. Our first destination of the day was Wirz Vineyard to meet with winemaker Ryan Stirm. The vineyard doesn’t seem to have an exact address on the map… so a pin drop on the GPS and a vague memory of the last time I visited pre-Pandemic would have to suffice. After only one slight detour on a dusty dirt road, we arrived alongside this quite idiosyncratic block of old, head-trained Riesling vines. Planted in 1964 on decomposed granite and limestone soils, the vines are tended by legendary farmer Pat Wirz. Dry-farmed, organic, and somewhat wild, this vineyard is something to behold.
We unloaded and stretched our legs with a nice 9 AM stroll among the vines with Ryan giving a quick overview of the place and its history. Bizarrely, I have personally had quite a long relationship with grapes from this unique planting. During my time at Bonny Doon I was introduced to many wines made in whole or in part from Wirz, as Randall Grahm had long since recognized this site's incredible potential when most of the wine industry's focus was on more mainstream grape varieties and higher-profile regions. Beyond the significant old vine Riesling planting, that is now renowned across the state and coveted by any winemaker looking to work with this varietal, Wirz is also home to a smaller block of even older mixed reds. Planted in 1904 largely to Zinfandel with interplanted vines of Mission (Rosa del Perù), Mataro, Orange Muscat, Carignan, and, the local specialty, Cabernet Pfeffer (aka Mourtaou). These vines are tucked up against the base of the Gabilan Mountains and the fairly unkempt looking vines grow among lots of local chaparral, wild flowers, poison oak… it’s a wild-looking vineyard for sure, but the character of the fruit is pretty incredible.
After this fascinating tour we headed back to the Riesling block to taste some wines. A convenient stack of hay bales (Pat Wirz also runs cattle on the ranch) provided great shade and the perfect place to run through the STiRM lineup as Ryan pulled wines from a box in the back of his pick-up truck. It was the perfect lo-fi tasting that really helped all of us grasp the essence of the wines and their intimate connection to Cienega Valley, a place that's about agriculture and natural beauty, not high-production, glossy wines or fancy designer tasting rooms. The lineup was incredible from the first wine to the last. A vertical of Wirz Rieslings, some mouthwatering pet nats, aromatic whites, a Chardonnay that left everybody stunned, an elegantly fruited Pinot Noir, and a complex old-vine Zin—they conveyed all the wildness and intrigue of the unique block we had just seen. Ryan’s philosophy is most definitely minimal intervention, all the wines are fermented with native yeast and natural malo. Just about everything is only ever aged in neutral oak. Most wines are unfined and unfiltered. The only addition to the wines is minimal sulfur to bottle stability. These can most definitely be considered “natural wines” but there’s nothing overtly funky or flawed here. The wines are bright, vibrant, refreshing, balanced, and have great fruit, but also an intense minerality in the whites and an earthy undertone in the reds. What’s more, every price we were quoted had people saying: “What?” “For real!?” “Are you sure that’s right?” Time after time, our team couldn’t believe how great the wines were for the money. The vast majority are under $20, but make no mistake, these are seriously good wines well worth your attention and have quickly jumped to the top of the list for many staff members when recommending wines to customers. Here are some of the highlights from STiRM that we have in stock and ready to go:
2023 STiRM "Calcite" Cienega Valley White Blend $16.95 The “Calcite” White Blend is STiRM’s crisp, quaffable, everyday white that is infused with the distinctive minerality of this region’s soils. Named after the specific type of limestone found here, Calcite is a racy, mouthwatering blend composed of 72% Riesling from Wirz Vineyard, 16% Chenin Blanc, and 12% Chardonnay from the Gimelli Vineyard that is right next door. The Riesling gets foot-trodden and 36 hours skin contact, while the Chenin Blanc and Chard are direct press. Native fermentation in neutral oak. A low 29ppm total SO2. Absolutely fantastic with oysters, or a panzanella.
2019 STiRM "Wirz Vineyard" Cienega Valley Old Vine Riesling $19.95 Ryan Stirm takes the most pristine fruit from these 1964 planted, head-trained, dry-farmed, organically grown Riesling vines to make this flagship vineyard designate bottling. Once again growing on limestone and granite soils. The small clusters are foot-trodden, soak for 24 hours on skins, before being pressed. The wine then rests for 22 months on fine lees all in a stainless steel tank. Vibrant and racy, but also very textural and complex.
2022 STiRM "Gimelli Vineyard" Cienega Valley Chardonnay $19.95 This wine perhaps stole the show more than any other. A wonderfully poised, vibrant, mineral driven Chardonnay with impeccable balance and completeness for under $20!?
Vines from the mid-1990s, planted in very sandy, decomposed granite and limestone soils. Traditional Burgundian techniques—allowing the browning of juice, then sent to barrel for a long, slow, native fermentation in neutral oak. Unfined, unfiltered. A remarkable bottle of Chardonnay that is a fast favorite here at K&L!
2023 STiRM "Neptunite" San Benito County Rosé $16.95 The latest edition of STiRMs rosé is once again based largely on Wirz Riesling (86%) blended with 10% Gimelli Chenin Blanc, 4% Wirz old-vine Zinfandel. The Riesling gets 36 hours skin contact. The Chenin Blanc is whole-cluster pressed, and then a tiny addition of 1904 planted Zinfandel, vinified as a red wine, is blended in to give the wine its subtle salmon pink hue. The wine perfectly combines the electric minerality of the Calcite White blend with a squeeze of alpine strawberry and just a slightly rounded off texture perfect for easy sipping.
2023 STiRM "Joaquinite - Gimelli Vineyard" Cienega Valley Pinot Noir $19.95 Keeping in mind that the late great Josh Jensen came to Cienega Valley seeking limestone soils when he founded the legendary Mt. Harlan Estate on the peaks directly above these vineyards. The soils found at Gimelli are basically the same soils eroded down from the mountain side. These Pinot Noir vines are now quite mature at 27 years of age. Fruit is destemmed and fermented with native ferment in old, open-top Redwood tanks. The wine is then aged in totally neutral oak and bottle unfined, unfiltered. The wine has a wonderful balance of floral tones, pure, silky fruit, and savory earth tones. Expressive right from the bottle with dried rose petal, hibiscus, black raspberry, seared strawberry with balsamic reduction, dusty earth, foraged mushrooms, and leaf litter. Very supple and elegant on the palate, vibrant and complex way beyond its modest price tag—so delicious!