Celebrated Rutherford Cabernet Producer Helmed by Vintners Tim and Sabrina Persson and Winemaker Celia Welch Introduce One-of-a-Kind Experience to Help Determine
“The Final Blend” of the 2021 Vintage of Stalworth
(Rutherford, Calif.)— January 10, 2023—Tim and Sabrina Persson, proprietors of cutting-edge Rutherford Cabernet house Stalworth, announced the debut of “The Final Blend,” the ultimate hands-on winemaking experience for the passionate oenophile.
Offered just one time on a first-come basis, the purchaser, along with seven of their closest friends or family members, will join Stalworth winemaker Celia Welch and the Perssons at their Napa Valley home as they work to create the final blend of the 2021 Stalworth Cabernet Sauvignon. Welch, one of Napa Valley’s most celebrated winemakers and an expert in Rutherford terroir, has already narrowed down the top blending elements for the 2021 vintage, but the final blend has yet to be determined. She still needs to taste through the wine’s individual building blocks — distinct barrel and vineyard selections — and choose the right percentages of each to create the most balanced and purest representation of the vineyard site. That’s where this one-of-a-kind opportunity comes in: On March 11, eight wine lovers will have the opportunity to peel back the curtain and experience these crucial final steps in creating a world-class Rutherford Cabernet.
In addition to the blending session, award-winning label designer Michael McDermott will lead the group in a creative workshop. Together, the group will design a limited-edition label that will adorn 20 five-liter bottles of the 2021 vintage. To commemorate the experience, each pair of attendees will receive their own five-liter bottle, signed by the Perssons and Welch, upon release.
“The Final Blend” experience will culminate with a multi-course dinner prepared by Chef Elliot Bell, an alum of the French Laundry and owner of the highly anticipated Charlie’s in St. Helena. Bell will pair the meal with the 2018 and 2019 Stalworth, and additional wines from the Persson’s and Celia Welch’s personal cellars.
The fine print: “The Final Blend” experience will be held at Tim and Sabrina Persson’s Napa Valley hillside home on Saturday, March 11, and will be for eight people. The price is $15,000 and is inclusive of all the below elements.
- 2021 Stalworth blending session, led by Winemaker Celia Welch and Tim and Sabrina Persson.
- Label design workshop with Michael McDermott
- Multi-course dinner prepared by Chef Elliot Bell, of the forthcoming Charlie’s in St. Helena, paired with the 2018 and 2019 vintages of Stalworth, as well as other wines from Tim, Sabrina, and Celia’s cellars.
- 4 (four) 5L bottles of the 2021 Stalworth (one for each pair of attendees), which will be released in 2024
To request information or book “The Final Blend,” please contact Nick Fitch at 540.908.9072 or nick@stalworthwine.com.
ABOUT STALWORTH
Stalworth was conceived in 2014 by Tim and Sabrina Persson, second-generation vintners of Hess Persson Estates. Their vision was to create a next-generation icon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Working with revered Napa Valley winemaker Celia Welch, the Perssons faced an earthquake, drought, landslide, and wildfires before producing the inaugural 2018 vintage. The second vintage of Stalworth, the 2019, will be released in late February 2023. For more information on Stalworth or to join the mailing list, please visit www.stalworthwine.com.
