Sextant Night Watch Red Blend 2006
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SEXTANT (SEKS’TANT) an old-world instrument using the sun, stars, and horizon to navigate across open water.
Established: 2004
At Sextant Wines we are devoted to expanding the horizons of the Central Coast wine region by utilizing the unmatchable terroir with old world varietal selections. This allows us to grow grapes to their optimal maturity, creating unique wines of supreme quality. We know you will enjoy!
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Family History
Proprietors Nancy and Craig Stoller have a deep-rooted history in the wine industry. The Stoller family founded Sunridge Nurseries in 1977 and is dedicated to producing the finest grape stock in the world. Craig is a third-generation vine grower following in his father’s footsteps. What sets Sunridge apart is their exclusive relationships with French, Portuguese, and Spanish institutions to import certified wine grape selections that can be traced back to the original mother vines in each of those countries. Today, Sunridge still uses some of the original grape rootstock Craig’s grandfather planted more than four decades ago.
The Proprietors
Craig joined the Stoller family business upon graduation from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 1991. He started out on the road learning about the wine regions, meeting winegrowers, and of course, learning about wine. Now as CEO of Sunridge Nurseries, Craig has enjoyed watching the industry grow while taking part in supplying vines to many winegrowers across the globe. His passion for high quality wine has led the journey in the vineyard while Nancy has focused her creative energy towards public relations and marketing for Sextant.
The Beginning
Sunridge Nurseries’ slogan has always been “Where the vintage begins,” so developing wines from these high-quality clones was naturally the next step. In 2001, Nancy and Craig planted a certified vineyard increase block in Templeton. “The purpose of this particular vineyard was to show wine growers the potential for good wines from these clones,” says Craig. The Stollers planted the newest selections introduced by ENTAV, the highest governmental authority in France responsible for preserving the best wine grape clones, which they evaluated for their clonal differences. Three years later they began to utilize the grapes and made wines from the different clonal selections.
Today
Visit Sextant at two distinct locations on the Central Coast. The Estate Winery is set among stunning views of the Paso Robles countryside on scenic 46 West and the Tasting Room and Gourmet Deli sit in the heart of the SLO wine trail at the historic Old Edna townsite. Both offer reserve tastings complete with exquisite service and knowledgeable staff. Take your experience a step further and join the wine club to access exclusive benefits including private events and members-only wines. From vines to wines, the Stollers’ story has come full circle as they have combined their passion for fine wine with their love of the ocean in creating Sextant Wines.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Paso Robles has made a name for itself as a source of supple, powerful, fruit-driven Central Coast wines. But with eleven smaller sub-AVAs, there is actually quite a bit of diversity to be found in this inland portion of California’s Central Coast.
Just east over the Santa Lucia Mountains from the chilly Pacific Ocean, lie the coolest in the region: Adelaida, Templeton Gap and (Paso Robles) Willow Creek Districts, as well as York Mountain AVA and Santa Margarita Ranch. These all experience more ocean fog, wind and precipitation compared to the rest of the Paso sub-appellations. The San Miguel, (Paso Robles) Estrella, (Paso Robles) Geneso, (Paso Robles) Highlands, El Pomar and Creston Districts, along with San Juan Creek, are the hotter, more western appellations of the greater Paso Robles AVA.
This is mostly red wine country, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel standing out as the star performers. Other popular varieties include Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache and Rhône blends, both red and white. There is a fairly uniform tendency here towards wines that are unapologetically bold and opulently fruit-driven, albeit with a surprising amount of acidity thanks to the region’s chilly nighttime temperatures.