Red wine · Off-Dry
2022 Ozark Hellbender
A super smooth red blend from the Ozark Mountain AVA. Every bottle supports hellbender conservation at the Saint Louis Zoo.
Wine details
- Grape: Red blend
- Style: Red wine, off-dry
- Vintage: 2022
- Alcohol: 13%
- Residual sugar: 1.5%
- Similar to: Red blends
- Bottle: 750 ml
- Collection: Hellbender
Tasting notes
How it tastes
A smooth red blend with aromas of toasted coffee beans, roasted vanilla, a smoky chocolate note, a touch of black pepper, and a bit of black currant and eucalyptus leads to a deliciously drinkable wine. A soft, complex, and engaging wine.
Pairings
Serve it with
Barbecue, pasta and beef.
The wine
About this wine
We blend three estate varieties to craft an approachable, easy-drinking red. All are grown in the Ozark Mountain AVA, with two aged one year in neutral oak to enhance complexity, softness, and balance. Just before bottling, we add a final variety, kept secret as part of our winemaking tradition.
This wine is named in honor of the Ozark Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi), a subspecies of hellbender found only in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Now critically endangered due to habitat destruction, they act as a vital indicator species showcasing the quality of Ozarks riverways. Fortunately, a collaborative captive breeding and research effort is now underway between state and federal agencies working in collaboration with the Saint Louis Zoo. Stone Hill Winery is committed to raising awareness for the plight of the Ozark Hellbender. A portion of proceeds from every bottle sold are directly donated to the Ozark Hellbender conservation and breeding program at the Saint Louis Zoo. To date, more than $80,000 has been donated from our Hellbender wines.
Recognition
Awards and honors
- 93 points, 2025 American Wine Society
- Gold, 2025 American Wine Society
- Best of Class Semi-Dry Red, 2024 Missouri Wine Competition
- Gold, 2024 Missouri Wine Competition
Visit Hermann
Taste it at the winery
Most of our wines are poured daily in our tasting rooms in Hermann. Wine club members get new releases first.