Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall Vineyard has a warm black currant cordial and preserved plums-based nose with touches of new leather, spice box, chargrill and dried Provence herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate provides generous, mouth-filling black fruit and savory layers, framed by firm tannins and finishing on a fruity note.

The smallest production cuvée is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith (200 cases), which comes from a vineyard of the same name planted at a 1,750-foot elevation. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was aged 20 months in 70% new French oak. An opaque purple color is accompanied by notes of charcoal, graphite, blackcurrants, blackberries and background toast, and a full-bodied, powerful, highly extracted mouthfeel with no hard edges or angularity. This 2012 Cabernet is still an infant, but it should evolve beautifully for 20-30 years.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall is a big, tightly wound wine. Dark red raspberries, mint, white flowers and spices emerge from this energetic, vibrant Cabernet. The Rockfall impresses for its power and sheer drive. A complex, multi-dimensional finish leaves a striking last impression. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021.

Another massive, highly extracted monster that begs for a decade of patience is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon West Ledge. (234 cases produced). It should last for 50 years. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted. Kudos to proprietor Jess Jackson and winemakers Graham Weerts and Marcia Monahan for exploring this high elevation terroir. This has been a work-in-progress for Jackson, and he has finally hit paydirt with the following wines. Readers need to pay attention as there are some amazing Chardonnays as well as red wines emerging from Stonestreet. The relatively limited production, opaque purple-colored 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 21 months in French oak) is a tannic, massive beast of a wine. Extremely full-bodied, dense, extracted, and backward, this 40-50 year wines requires at least 8-10 years patience. I'm not sure how many consumers have the requisite discipline for wines such as this, but it's good to see they are still being made, and future generations will appreciate the effort.

The 2005 Legacy Proprietary Red, a nearly 1,500-case cuvée, is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged 17 months in 91% new French oak. The wine tastes incredibly young. It feels more like a three- to four-year old North Coast Cabernet than one that is about to pass ten years. Very dense purple to the rim, its opulent, generous, open-knit bouquet of lead pencil shavings, blackcurrants, cedar wood, vanilla and spice, good acidity, sweet tannin, and full-bodied, voluptuous body give this wine tremendous appeal. Still, there is serious upside that remains. Although quite accessible already, it promises to be even better in another 3-4 years and should keep at least three decades.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases Fermented and aged for 11 months in French oak (44% new), the 2016 Chardonnay Broken Road Vineyard delivers ripe apricots, pineapple paste, apple pie and allspice scents with hints of honeycomb and toasted almonds. Medium to full-bodied, the palate packs a wallop of intense flavors with layer upon layer of tropical fruit and spices, complemented by a creamy texture and finishing long and toasty.

At present, the 2013 Chardonnay Broken Road is tightly wound and austere, yet it also appears to be holding back much of its potential. Sage, mint, pine and a host of savory/mineral notes are woven throughout a core of distinctly stony, yellow-fleshed fruit. Lifted, floral aromatics add the final layers of complexity to a Chardonnay that is going to need time to fully blossom.

Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Pratt Vineyard Sexton Road features gorgeous crushed black cherries and black raspberries scents with nuances of violets, wild thyme, lavender and iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate features a fantastically refreshing backbone juxtaposed by wonderfully velvety tannins and amazing black berry intensity, leading into a very long floral finish.

Santa Cruz Mountains and the Santa Lucia Highlands From the southern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands, the 2016 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard saw one-fourth stems and 15 months in 50% new French oak. It's always a richer wine and the 2016 is no exception, offering notes of black raspberries, crushed rocks, vanilla bean, and spice. Deep, pure and powerful, yet still with a beautiful sense of elegance, drink it any time over the coming 10-12 years.

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Ewald Vineyard exudes wonderfully fragrant lilac and kirsch notes, accented by scents of cinnamon toast, raspberry pie and dried Provence herbs. Medium to full-bodied with a taut line of grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, it has wonderful intensity and depth with a long perfumed finish.

A field blend of over a dozen different clonal selections, picked as one lot, the 2015 Pinot Noir Saralee’s Vineyard has a deep ruby-purple color and is a little closed to begin, offering delicate tree bark, moss, mulberries and dusty soil earth notes that, with a bit of coaxing, open into baking spice and kirsch notes. The rich, concentrated, medium to full-bodied palate is very structured, with firm, grainy tannins and refreshing acidity supporting the taut fruit, finishing long with a menthol lift.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two "In 2016 we had access to vineyard sites that came with the purchase by Jackson Family Wines," Lynn Penner-Ash explains. "Those sites brought some freshness to the wines. They are fresher and livelier than what we saw from the other warm vintages." She also notes that the oak usage dropped quite a bit in 2016, down to about 19% -23% from 20%-40%. Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir opens with just the slightest touch of gunflint-like reduction on the nose, giving way to red cherries, cranberries and warm raspberry with underlying suggestions of pink peppercorn and flowers. Light to medium-bodied, it gives up great layers of warm red and blue fruits with earthy accents of forest floor, wet earth and bark. It's structured by fine-grained tannins and great juicy acidity carrying the long fruit-forward finish. This is youthfully coiled but should blossom beautifully.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two The 2015 Pinot Noir Zena Crown Vineyard is pale to medium ruby-purple in color with an elegant, perfumed nose of wild blackberries, new leather, pipe tobacco and undergrowth plus notes of cardamom and garrigue. Light to medium-bodied and silky in the mouth, it offers great black and blue fruits framed with spice and earthy accents, held together with firm, plush tannins and juicy acidity and finishing long and packed with wonderful layers.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two "In 2015 we really tried to focus on earlier picking instead of acidulation," says Lynn Penner-Ash. "2015 has a life to it, a brightness." Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir has a gorgeous nose of violet and rose petal over a core of warm red and black cherries, baked cranberries, pink peppercorn, Bergamot and an exotic hint of saltiness. Light to medium-bodied, it has wonderful layers of red and black fruits in the mouth with a strong line of spice—cardamom, nutmeg, hints of pepper—plus notes of autumn leaves and dusty earth. It’s got supple, grainy tannins and wonderful juicy acidity carrying the layered finish.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two The 2015 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard is pale to medium ruby-purple in color and youthfully shy on the nose, giving way to garrigue and pepper over a core of macerated black cherries, black licorice and bramble berry with floral perfume in the background. Light to medium-bodied, the palate sings with dark fruits, warm earth, wet leaves and floral perfume with notes of baking spice. It's held together with plush, grainy tannins and juicy acidity carrying the long, dense finish. This is young and tight but has the stuffing to blossom beautifully.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Pas de Nom is youthfully shy, giving way to spicy notions of cinnamon stick, nutmeg, garrigue and perfume over a core of warm black cherry and blackberry jam plus a suggestion of wet soil. The light to medium-bodied palate is packed full of warm, ripe, dark fruits accented by spice and flowers. It's framed by plush, grainy tannins and wonderful mouthwatering acidity, finishing long and packed with flavor. Yum!

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two The 2015 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard is pale to medium ruby-purple in color with a nose of warm blueberries, boysenberry, wild blackberries and warm black cherries plus notes of exotic perfume, violets, lilacs, pink peppercorn, garrigue, and touches of charcuterie—this is very savory and pretty! Light to medium-bodied, the palate is generous with blue and black fruits and spicy touches of pepper, cardamom and cinnamon stick. It has firm, plush, grainy tannins and good freshness to carry the dense finish. Give this a couple years in bottle for it to really show its stuff.

Slightly more reserved than the Carlisle Vineyard, with a more coiled personality, is the 2013 Zinfandel Limerick Lane. This wine shows notes of charcoal, asphalt, pepper, black cherries, blackcurrants, meaty notes, a big spicy, earthy, herbal richness, multi-dimensional mouthfeel and sensational concentration, this wine is 100% Zinfandel and capable of lasting at least another decade.

Another winner, the impressive 2007 Journey Proprietary Red is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. An elegant, medium to full-bodied, pure, rich, Bordeaux-styled red, it offers up scents of cedar wood, licorice, smoked herbs, creme de cassis, and background oak.

The tiny cuvee of 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder (132 cases) actually is the only 1998 that needs another 2-3 years of cellaring. It also will probably last 20-25 years, but will it achieve the greatness of the Diamond Mountain or the suppleness of the Rutherford? With a dense purple color, notes of scorched earth, liquid minerals, black fruits, cedar & licorice, this full-bodied, powerful, muscular wine has some tannin to shed,but it is loaded with extract & richness. To reiterate, these are amazing achievements in 1998.

…reveals crème de cassis/mineral aromas, a superb mid-palate, and a full-bodied personality with impressive length and purity. It is not for readers desiring immediate gratification as it requires 4-5 years of cellaring.

The opaque purple-colored '97 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder (220 cases) from an elevation of 1500 ft., reveals classic crème de cassis/mineral aromas, a superb mid-palate, and a full-bodied peersonality with impressive length & purity. It is not for readers desiring immediate gratification as it requires 4-5 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025.

Softer in the mouth, but full-bodied, dense, and rich, it is an immensely impressive effort.

More mineral, blueberry, plum, & earthy characteristics can be found in the dark puple-colored 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain (700 cases). Softer in the mouth, but full-bodied, dense, and rich, it is an immensely impressive effort. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2020.