A Rahovec Valley estate renamed by the Gecaj family in 2006, with oak-aged Pinot Noir and Chardonnay alongside stainless-steel Chardonnay.
The producer
Stone Castle began in 1953 as NBI Rahoveci, then passed to the Gecaj family in 2006. The estate reports 700 hectares in Rahovec Valley and an underground cellar holding more than five million litres. Pinot Noir spends eight months in Hungarian oak, while Chardonnay Reserve spends nine months in French oak. The standard Chardonnay is matured in stainless steel without oak, separating its approach from the Reserve.
Known for
Rahovec Valley estate wines
Notable facts
The 2022 Pinot Noir has wild strawberry, Bing cherry, cranberry, rose petal and dried-leaf earthiness.
Its palate is silky and medium-bodied, with cherry-raspberry fruit, bright acidity and supple tannins.
Chardonnay Reserve combines apple, peach and pineapple with grapefruit-lemon acidity and creamy oak texture.
StoneCastle Chardonnay has aromas of yellow apple, white peach, pineapple and Meyer-lemon zest.
From the atlas
StoneCastle Vineyard
StoneCastle Vineyard in Kosovo’s Rahovec Valley was renamed by the Gecaj family in 2006 and works with estate-grown fruit.
At A Glance
Region
Rahovec Valley, Kosovo
Winery origin
1953
Ownership
Gecaj family, since 2006
Vineyard area
700 hectares
Farming
Sustainably managed estate vineyards
The Producer
Stone Castle began in 1953 as NBI Rahoveci, a state-run winery built by the Yugoslav government. The Gecaj family acquired it in 2006 and renamed it Stone Castle. Rrustem Gecaj, a Kosovar-American entrepreneur, directed its transformation.
The estate grows its own fruit and bottles on site. Vineyard teams hand-pick the bunches, and wines mature in oak or stainless steel before bottling. Beneath the vineyards, an underground cellar has storage capacity exceeding five million litres.
Place
Stone Castle reports 700 hectares of vineyards in the hilly and mountainous Rahovec Valley, rising from 330 to 550 metres. The soils are clay-limestone. Its estate vineyards are sustainably managed, with cover crops, natural pest control and minimal-intervention farming used to foster biodiversity.
Wines
StoneCastle Pinot Noir 2022 is a dry Rahovec Valley red aged for eight months in Hungarian oak. Vanilla, clove and sweet cedar sit beneath the fruit.
Chardonnay Reserve spends nine months in French oak, with pineapple and vanilla-bean tones. StoneCastle Chardonnay takes the stainless-steel route instead: it is unoaked, with a mineral edge and a refreshing finish.
Final Word
The Gecaj family's 2006 acquisition now extends across vineyards rising from 330 to 550 metres in Rahovec Valley.