I have watched this wine for the first time and know that it is an ager, especially in a great vintage like this one. made from very high Mayacamas Mountain grapes, it's relentlessly tannic in its youth. But the core of black cherry and cassis is fabulous. Hold on until 2010.

This wine is quite an accomplishment in flavor and complexity given the vintage and the price. From high-altitude vineyards atop the Mayacamas, it delivers peppercorn, herb and fine, well-integrated tannins, with mellow oak. Graphite and cedar also figure into the mix, with a shock of black cherry and cassis weaved within.

Dark chocolate, mocha, plum and espresso notes abound in the 2011 Legacy Red Wine. There is no shortage of richness and power in the glass, but I don't see the same level of finesse that makes the best Stonestreet wines so compelling. The significant presence of Merlot gives Legacy a softer personality than some of the Stonestreet wines, which can be a plus or a negative, depending on your point of view. Hints of leather, tobacco and savory herbs add complexity to the dark red and black fruit. The 2011 is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot.

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall is huge and explosive on the palate. Dark red and black stone fruits meld into cloves, menthol, new leather, smoke cedar. All the elements are beautifully woven together. The 2011 Rockfall is racy and resonant, but there is plenty of mountain tannin providing support.

The brilliant 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall, from a high elevation vineyard planted at 1,820 to 2,400 feet, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 19 months in 55% new French oak. There is not a hint of herbaceousness in this opaque purple-colored Cabernet. It exhibits notes of acacia flowers, blackberries, blueberries and a chalky, powdery minerality. Full-bodied with monster tannins, this massive Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be forgotten for 5-7 years and drunk over the following two plus decades. In that sense, it is atypical for a 2011.

A lovely Cabernet, ripe and delicious, yet complex enough to hold your interest. It’s just beginning its journey in the bottle. Very dark in color, with hard tannins, it has an immense core of blackberries and cherries. Give it at least 6–8 years, but it could still be rocking in 2022

Full-bodied, rich and complex Californian Cabernet from Alexander Mountain Estates, with classic aromas of blackberry, cassis and blackcurrant wrapped in a judicious weave of smoky oak. Great candidate for the cellar. A wine that almost jumps out of the glass with its vibrant character. The mountain terroir of the vineyards shows through in the depth and complexity of this wine. Superb craftsmanship. Try it with rare filet mignon for an exquisite sensory experience. The grapes for this full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon grown at an altitude of 400 to 2,400 feet which imparts freshness and balance.

Good ruby-red. Cassis, graphite and dried sage on the nose. Concentrated, rocky and deep, with complex flavors of blueberry, coffee and sweet tobacco. Excellent fruit and texture here, and ripely tannic and impressively long on the finish.

Fine in acidity and elegantly dry, this is a glorious Cabernet, marked with intensely ripe flavors of blackberry and black currant. Delicious and ripe, it’s sturdy in tannins. Really needs some time to come around. Best from 2015–2021 or so.

Dark in color and full-bodied, this bone dry Cabernet is tannic and hard, despite having concentrated flavors of blackberry jam and black currant. It has plenty of structural integrity, and feels elegant in the mouth. Try holding it for a few years. If you drink it now, give it a few hours in the decanter.

It appears owner Jess Jackson is positioning this wine to be a separate entity apart from the wines of Stonestreet. A 600-case blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Merlot made by Graham Weerts, this beauty reveals a deep purple hue along with abundant notes of blueberries, black currants and crushed rocks intertwined with toast and earth. It possesses superb purity, silky tannins and a concentrated, intense mouthfeel. It should drink well for two decades or more.

(100% cabernet sauvignon, from fruit grown at 2,400 feet): Bright medium ruby. Vibrant aromas of cassis, black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate are lifted by a piquant note of orange peel. Juicy, perfumed and penetrating, with lovely definition and energy to its pure dark fruit flavors. Finishes with dusty, broad tannins and a hint of youthful austerity. A splendid showing, but lay it down.

Stonestreet's only proprietary red wine is the 2007 Legacy, a blend of 80.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 9.5% Cabernet Franc. Another beauty, there are 600 cases of this dense ruby-purple colored wine. Displaying notes of smoky oak intermixed with barbecue spices, black currants, graphite, and cedar, it is a fleshy wine with a succulent personality, silky tannins, and a full-bodied, heady mouthfeel. It should drink well for 10-15+ years. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

Not ready for drinking now. Shows youthfully aggressive tannins and forward flavors of blackberries, currants, herbs and unintegrated new oak, making it the least satisfactory of Stonestreet's impressive new releases if you're looking for something now. Seems like it will make a very fine bottle after 2011 or so.

The 2004 Legacy Proprietary Red, a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and the rest equal parts Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, performed brilliantly. It is dense purple, with notes of graphite, black currant, vanilla and spring flowers. The wine shows earthy minerality, full-bodied power, and impressive ripeness in a youthful, vigorous mountain-styled Cabernet. Drink it over the next 15 years.

Offers red and black currant, cherry, crushed rock, and smoky burning ember-like characteristics. With great purity and richness as well as full body and a long, heady finish, it will be drinkable between 2008-2020.

One of the finest efforts I have tasted from Stonestreet is the 2001 Legacy, a 1,400-case blend 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. It boasts an opaque purple color in addition to a gorgeously intense bouquet of melted licorice, smoky barbeque aromas, black currant liqueur, road tar, and high class French oak. Sweet and expansive, with full-bodied flavors, and tremendous texture as well as depth, the wine's elevated tannin in the finish is largely buries under the extravagant richness and wealth of extract and glycerin. This is a beauty! Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Aurora Point Vineyard dazzles with its energy and precision. Apricot, mint, peach, chamomile and dried flowers are beautifully delineated in a Sauvignon that is both focused and textured. Next to the Estate, the Aurora shows more of a stone fruit character and none of the grassier notes found in that wine.

Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc from vineyards at 800 to 1,000 feet in elevation, the 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Aurora Point Vineyard was fermented and aged in a French oak foudre. It’s slightly fresher and more crisp compared to the estate release and has lots of lemon, white flowers, citrus rind, and a similar salinity. This medium-bodied, vibrant Sauvignon Blanc has terrific purity and will drink nicely for 4-5 years as well, if not longer.

Stonestreet's 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Aurora Point is one of the most distinctive wines in California. Exquisitely layered, aromatic and expressive, the 2014 offers exceptional balance and class. Candied lemon, sage, white flowers and mint are some of the many notes that grace this compelling, delicious wine.

The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Aurora Point flows across the palate with striking depth and pure nuance. Everything falls into place in a beautifully layered white that stands out for its chiseled, perfumed personality. This is a fabulous showing from Graham Weerts.

Bright, pale yellow. Sexy aromas of pineapple, minerals, crushed stone, anise and caraway seed are accented by ineffable spicy high notes. Ripe and juicy, with seriously dense apple, crushed stone and menthol flavors cut by citrussy acidity. Impeccably balanced, intensely fruity wine with a long saline finish and terrific purity and verve.

Summer's end will bring the release of this remarkably complex California Chardonnay, with its layers of spicy, toasty, cedary oak and bounty of pretty pear, fig, apricot and citrus flavors that are long and lively on the finish.

..What classic North Coast chardonnay should be. The focus is on ripe varietal flavors, balance and careful use of excellent oak. It's medium-bodied and ready now.

Here Steve Test of Stone street defines what classic North Coast chardonnay should be. The focus is on excellent varietal flavors, balance and careful use of excellent oak. It's medium-bodied and ready now.