N.B. This event has sold out. We are taking names for our waiting list, in the event of cancellations. Please call Stellina in person for all special event reservations.
ATTN: EVERY SUMMER STELLINA SPONSORS A WINE TASTING SERIES ENTITLED “UNDER THE STARS!” GREAT WINES ARE TASTED OUTDOORS, IN THE SHADE OF OUR VERY OWN GRAPEVINES, ACCOMPANIED BY FOOD FROM OUR KITCHENS. AND THIS YEAR THE SERIES CONTINUES…..
Wine lovers will want to be here on THURSDAY JULY 26 at 6:30 as Stellina pours a cross-section of wines from perhaps the MOST HIGHLY RATED WINERY that we’ve ever presented. Join us when we celebrate the incredible wines of the HARTFORD FAMILY WINERY of the Russian River Valley in California.
Without exception, Hartford’s wines are intense, thought provoking and expressive of both variety and terroir. They have been served at the White House on many occasions and are staples on “Reserve” wine lists around the country.
Hartford’s wines are rare. Year after year, they rank among the most sought-after collectables from California. Since the 1994 vintage, owners Don and Jenny Hartford have built the winery’s reputation on limited-production, handmade, single-vineyard Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Old Vine Zinfandels from some of Northern California’s greatest vineyards.
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This Dinner is held outdoors in our Italian Garden. It will consist of five wines served alongside five courses, plus a complimentary dessert. Cost for the evening, including all food and wine, is $65 per person. Reservations are required. Please call 617-924-9475 to make your reservation in person and insure prompt confirmation.
MENU
FRITTO MISTO WITH TROPICAL FRUITS
SEASCAPE CHARDONNAY
GRILLED TUNA WITH AVOCADO PESTO
VELVET SISTERS PINOT NOIR
SICILIAN LAMB WITH POLENTA FRIES
WARRIOR PRINCESS PINOT NOIR
PORK TENDERLOIN WITH BOK CHOY AND ROASTED BEET BUCATINI
JOLENE ZINFANDEL
FILET MIGNON WITH WELSH RAREBIT
HARTFORD VINEYARD ZINFANDEL
PANNA COTTA
Hartford Family Winery was founded in 1994 as a result of Don and Jennifer Hartford’s appreciation for the wines, the people, and the unique vineyards near their Russian River Valley home. Located in the Sonoma County town of Forestville, the winery is about 15 miles from the cool Pacific Coast.
In recent vintages we have made about 25 different single vineyard bottlings. Small and low-yielding vineyards deliver expressive and personality-rich wine. Our single vineyard Hartford Court Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays total as few as 93 cases, up to about 800 cases. Likewise, our Hartford Old Vine Zinfandels are produced in small quantities. Our single vineyard wines are highly allocated.
Since 2011, Jeff Stewart, a specialist in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel, has been in charge of winemaking.
__________________________NOTES FROM THE WINERY____________________________________
Pinot Noir
We love Pinot Noir and in many years make about 15 of them with fruit from the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Green Valley, Carneros, Anderson Valley, Marin and Oregon appellations. We feel that Pinot Noir makes the most seductive red wine, notable for its supple, silky texture. Pinot Noir is also known for expressing vineyard site characteristics in a transparent manner.
Chardonnay
Cool climate Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Chardonnay vineyards are singularly expressive. Those that are planted with multiple clones, specially matched to their sites, also reflect the distinctive terroir in these high-risk, high-reward locations.
Old Vine Zinfandel
Our 80-100 year old Zinfandel vineyards are irreplaceable treasures. We source our vineyard-designated Russian River Valley Zinfandels (150-500 cases) from some of the oldest Zinfandel vineyards in California. The complexity and depth of flavors from these vineyards produce the most consistently bold and unctuous Zinfandels found anywhere.
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TASTING NOTES:
HARTFORD COURT CHARDONNAY “SEASCAPE VINEYARD” 
The Seascape Vineyard Chardonnay shows keen acidity with Meyer lemon and exotic floral aromas backed by subtle saline nuances. These complex aromatics are complemented by chamomile, Mandarin orange and key lime flavors, with a lingering finish of green apple and underlying mineral flavors – a truly unique expression of terroir along the western edge of Sonoma County.
“The 2014 Seascape Vineyard Chardonnay is from one of the coldest vineyards in all of Northern California. On a ridgetop close to the town of Occidental, facing Bodega Bay in the Pacific Ocean, it is often the last to ripen – and sometimes as late as late October or November. A deep golden color, exotic tropical fruits, crushed rocks, and an almost saltiness characterize this rather nutty and strikingly Meursault-like Chardonnay that will be somewhat controversial compared to the more classic aromas and flavors of the other five offerings, but it is still a brilliant, somewhat idiosyncratic Chardonnay.”
“Exposed to the coast, this crisp white is racy, with flavors of salty pretzel and apple skin. It offers impressive weight and viscosity interwoven with juicy acidity, which allows it to stay fresh and focused. Fresh-squeezed lemon shows on the nose and palate, with a touch of brine and supportive oak.” – Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast,
“Coming from a site on the northern end of Anderson Valley, the 2015 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters (from a mix of Dijon clones) was completely destemmed and spent 16 months in just under 30% new French oak. It has a rich, broad, expansive blue-fruited bouquet of spiced plums, blueberries, vanilla, and dried flowers. One of the richer, more full-bodied, opulent and sexy wines in the lineup, it’s ideal for drinking over the coming decade.” – Jeb Dunnuck, June 2018
“This is the the second vintage produced of this wine. Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Warrior Princess opens with warm, red currants, black cherries and violet notes with touches of black soil, stewed tea, garrigue and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers up a very firm structure of wonderfully ripe, grainy tannins, with a refreshing backbone supporting the intense earthy/savory flavors, finishing long. – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate, December
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HARTFORD ZINFANDEL “JOLENE’S VINEYARD”
This single vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel provides alluring aromas and flavors of ripe black cherries, blackberry and cassis. Jolene’s texture is rich and mouth filling with ripe blueberry and tobacco characteristics, supple tannins and a creamy and elegant fin
“The 2015 Zinfandel Jolene’s Vineyard comes from another site for century-plus-aged, head-trained bush vines. Aged in 100% French oak, it was to be bottled unfined and unfiltered right after my visit. Inky bluish purple, this wine from a vineyard on Olivet Road has loads of pepper, roasted meats, Provencal herbs and loamy soil undertones unterwoven with blackberry, black cherry liqueur and spice box. It is a pedal-to-the-metal style of wine, with superb richness, a full-bodied unctuosity, but good acidity keeping everything energized and vibrant. Drink it over the next decade.” – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October 2016
ZINFANDEL “HARTFORD VINEYARD”Don and Jenny Hartford tend this 100+-year-old vineyard located on seven acres along Wood Road in the Russian River AVA of Sonoma County. The vineyard is head-pruned and produces low yields of about 1 ton / acre. Most vines produce only several clusters of intensely flavored grapes each year. Wood Road has well-drained, low fertility, sandy loam soils about two to three feet in depth over deeper layers of compacted sandy loam of about four to six inches. Since the Italian immigrants who planted the Wood Road Vineyard in the early 1900s wanted to ensure long vine life and moisture for their dry-farmed vines, they placed a blasting cap where each vine was to be planted and blasted through the compacted layer. Today we continue to enjoy the fruits of their ingenuity and celebrate the legacy of “dynamite” Zinfandels. The Hartford Vineyard has also been farmed using organic and biodynamic techniques since 2004.
“The 2015 Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard comes from head-trained vines planted over 100 years ago, and the incredibly low-yielding. The wine was aged in 100% French oak, of which 50% is new, and like all these wines, was bottled, unfined and unfiltered. This is a big wine at 15.2% natural alcohol, but there’s not a bit of heat to it. Its flamboyant, dramatic aromatics consist of black fruits, red fruits, licorice, roasted herbs, and smoked game. The wine has fabulous fruit on the attack, is full-bodied, and the red and black fruit combo follows through to a long finish of a good 40+ seconds. This is a stunner to drink over the next 6-10 years.” – Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October 2016