Kosovo · Unspecified

Stone Castle

A Rahovec Valley estate in Kosovo, Stone Castle makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Cabernet–Merlot wines from its own vineyards.

The producer

Stone Castle grew from NBI Rahoveci, a state-run winery built in 1953, into the Gecaj family’s estate after its 2006 acquisition. Its 700 hectares of Rahovec Valley vineyards supply the fruit for Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Chardonnay Reserve and Gecaj Estate Owner’s Choice, keeping the bottles connected to one estate rather than purchased grapes.

Clay-limestone soils, hillsides between 330 and 550 metres, early fog and warm afternoons frame the growing season. Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve uses French-oak ageing for a dry red shaped by tannin, dark fruit and savoury spice; Chardonnay Reserve brings oak, body and acidity into the white-wine side of the range; Owner’s Choice blends Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot for a broader, oak-aged red.

Known for

Estate-grown Rahovec Valley wines, from varietal reserves to an oak-aged Cabernet–Merlot blend.

Notable facts

The story

From NBI Rahoveci to Stone Castle

Rrustem Gecaj left Yugoslavia in 1974, travelling first to Italy and then to Canada. After building a life in North America, he returned to invest in Kosovo. In 2006, the Gecaj family acquired NBI Rahoveci, the former state-run winery built in 1953, with its established vineyards in the Rahovec Valley. The family renamed the estate Stone Castle, drawing the name from Kosovo’s traditional stone Kullas. The winery’s name changed from NBI Rahoveci to Stone Castle, while its wines continued to begin with grapes grown in the estate’s own Rahovec Valley vineyards.

From the atlas

Stone Castle

At A Glance

Stone Castle is a Rahovec Valley estate in Kosovo, built on the former NBI Rahoveci state winery. The Gecaj family acquired it in 2006, renamed it Stone Castle, and now makes its wines from estate-grown grapes planted between 330 and 550 metres.

The Producer

The winery began in 1953 as NBI Rahoveci, built by the Yugoslav government. Its change of ownership in 2006 brought the Gecaj family and the Stone Castle name, while the fruit remained rooted in the Rahovec Valley: the estate says it uses only grapes grown in its own vineyards. That link keeps Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Chardonnay Reserve and Gecaj Estate Owner’s Choice tied to one broad growing area rather than an unspecified buying network.

Place

Stone Castle sits in Kosovo’s Rahovec Valley, where the producer describes a continental climate moderated by Mediterranean influence. Early fog and warm afternoons extend the daily rhythm around the vines: cooler starts can preserve acidity, while afternoon warmth helps grapes gain ripeness. In the reserve wines, that combination gives oak-aged fruit room for both weight and fresh structure.

Soil And Site

The estate reports 700 hectares, or 1,730 acres, across hilly and mountainous ground at 330 to 550 metres. Clay-limestone soils hold water and add a calcareous element beneath the roots, while the changing elevations create more than one growing condition across the property. That scale helps explain a range that moves from a varietal Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon and a Cabernet–Merlot blend.

Story

Stone Castle carries two distinct eras in its cellar name. It started as a state-run winery, then became a family-owned estate when the Gecaj family purchased it in 2006. The later work was not a new vineyard planted from scratch: it was a return to an existing winery and its Rahovec Valley vineyards. The consequence is a range built around estate fruit and familiar international grapes, presented under a family name rather than the former NBI Rahoveci name.

Vineyards And Cellar

Water is managed through minimal, strategic irrigation, seasonal rainfall and conservation measures. On clay-limestone ground, that approach aims to support the vines without treating every season as identical; vine water supply affects berry size, fruit concentration and the balance between ripeness and acidity. In the cellar, the documented reserve wines use French-oak ageing, while Owner’s Choice is also oak-aged, so wood is part of the texture and spice profile rather than an incidental detail on the label.

Wines

The named range has three clear roles. Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a single-variety red aged with French oak: Cabernet brings dark-fruited flavour, tannin and grip, while the oak adds savoury seasoning and a broader palate. Chardonnay Reserve takes the reserve approach into white wine, where oak, texture and acidity shape the wine more than simple fruitiness.

Gecaj Estate Owner’s Choice is the composed red: Cabernet Sauvignon supplies structure and darker fruit, while Merlot can round the palate with softer fruit and body. Oak ageing gives the blend another layer of spice and weight. Together, the three bottles show two varietal wines and one estate blend, rather than a series of differently named versions of the same wine.

In The Glass

Start with Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve when looking for red-fruit depth, tannin and an oak-framed finish. Its Cabernet base points toward dark fruit and firm grip, while French oak broadens the texture and carries savoury spice through the finish. Owner’s Choice should feel more blended in shape: Cabernet holds the line of acidity and tannin, and Merlot brings fuller fruit into the middle of the palate.

Chardonnay Reserve offers the white-wine contrast. Oak ageing gives the wine a more textured feel, while acidity stops the body from becoming heavy. Across the range, the useful contrast is not simply red against white; it is varietal Cabernet, oak-shaped Chardonnay and a Cabernet–Merlot blend with a different balance of tannin, fruit and weight.

A Bottle To Understand It

Stone Castle Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is the first bottle to try. It is a varietal Cabernet from the Rahovec Valley, made from estate-grown fruit and aged in French oak, so it brings together the producer’s vineyard policy, its red-wine range and its cellar approach. Look for dark fruit, firm tannin, savoury oak spice and acidity that carries the wine into a dry finish. It is the clearest place to taste how a large estate vineyard is translated into one focused red.

Anecdote

Rrustem Gecaj left Yugoslavia in 1974. His route took him first to Italy and then to Canada, where he built a life in North America. In 2006, he returned to invest in Kosovo and the Gecaj family acquired the former NBI Rahoveci winery, the state-run operation established in 1953. The family renamed the estate Stone Castle, a name chosen in reference to Kosovo’s traditional stone Kullas. The change replaced the old winery name on the bottles while keeping the work in the Rahovec Valley vineyards that supply the estate’s grapes.

Final Word

Stone Castle is worth seeking out for the way its wines connect a large Rahovec Valley vineyard estate with three approachable bottle styles. Begin with the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve for tannin, dark fruit and French-oak spice; move to Owner’s Choice when a Cabernet–Merlot blend and a fuller palate are wanted.

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