Arcanum I is cabernet franc based (75 per cent) with 25 per cent merlot. Look for a smoky, rooty, tobacco, black olive, black cherry nose with flecks of vanilla and cranberries. The entry is round and elegant but the palate is rich and full. Chocolate, coffee, black olive, tobacco leaf, peppery, cranberry, cherry, mineral, vanilla flavours with a savoury, roast beef note. It has fine acidity that will allow it to age a further three to five years to you can drink it now with roasted meats.

This is from the vineyard that Helen Turley originally made famous under her Marcassin label, from old vines that are slowly succumbing to phylloxera. It's the biggest and most explosive Chardonnay from Stonestreet, with smoke and toast backed by oranges, peaches and hints of hazelnut and a rich custardy mouthfeel.

This is from the vineyard that Helen Turley originally made famous under her Marcassin label, from vines that are slowly succumbing to phylloxera (winemaker Westrick says that 2003 may be the last vintage before replanting). It's the biggest and most explosive Chardonnay from Stonestreet, with smoke and toast backed by oranges, peaches and hints of hazelnut and a rich, custardy mouthfeel.

Creamier and juicier with intense tropical fruit notes. Dense and fruity, with a green hue to its straw color, it should drink well for 4-5 years.

Full ruby red. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Moderately oaked. Moderately tannic. Rich tobacco and vanilla aromas lead a seductively rounded palate with well-framed cherry fruit flavors and textured soft tannins showing great integration. Very polished style.

The opaque plum-colored 1995 Merlot is a thick wine with compelling scents of roasted coffee, chocolate cake, smoky oak, and rich, jammy fruit. A blend of 84% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc, this wine is ideal for drinking now and over the next dozen years.

The 1993 Merlot exhibits an opaque ruby color, a big, exotic, chocolatey, smoky, jammy black-cherry-scented nose, rich, full-bodied, supple flavors, low acidity, and a lush, chewy finish. It is all a Merlot should be. Given its depth and richness, it should age well for 7-8 years.

A power-packed heavyweight from Sonoma, this delivers a piercing black-fruit aroma and flavor profile. Cassis and plum flavors are tight and tasty, and the long, juicy finifh indicates that it could evolve nicely. Anyone planning on drinking it soon should expect a punch…

Firm for a '96, with earthy tannins and a tasty core of ripe plum, currant and cherry flavors accented by a touch of sage and spice.

Opaque deep reddish purple. Medium-bodied. Highly extracted. Mildly tannic. Plums, tobacco, vanilla. Oak-accented aromas show full fruity notes. Rounded full plummy flavors expanded on th palate with ample soft tannins on the finish. Lovely texture.

Dark, intense and tannic, but the tannins are smooth and polished, allowing the ample currant, chocolate, anise, cedar and spice flavors to pour through. Drinks well now but cellaring into 1997 or '98 should add dimension.

The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon is a smoky, cassis, herb, and licorice-scented and flavored wine with full body, outstanding richness, good ripeness, and an impressively long finish. Although accessible, this wine should continue to drink well for 12-15 years.

The gorgeous, opulent 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon offers a big, smoky, chocolatey, cassis-scented nose, full body, surprisingly soft tannin, low acidity, and a lush texture and finish. It is ideal for drinking now and over the next 7-10 years.

For a relatively young wine, this one offers a remarkable developing bouquet of cassis and herbs, and follows through with a gorgeous palate impression which continues the aromas against a background of velvet. Finishing tannins are soft, and maximum enjoyment is likely over the next three years or so.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers up crushed black and red currants scents with hints of sautéed herbs, tapenade and charcuterie with a touch of anise. Medium-bodied with a firm structure of chewy tannins, it offers a great mid-palate of crunchy fruit and an herbal lift on the finish.

Black cherry, plum, tobacco, menthol and licorice all open up in the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall. This is another pretty wine with soft contours and plenty of short to medium term appeal.

Sage, brush and pencil shavings make for a savory, gravelly experience on the nose and palate of this full-bodied, high-elevation wine. Robustly tannic, it softens in the glass and on the finish in a stream of black pepper and dried herb.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate from Monument Ridge is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 18 months in 37% new French oak. It is an outstanding wine, with the oak pushed to the background. Notes of crushed rocks, spring flowers, blackcurrants, plums, and Asian spice are followed by a rich, full-bodied, pure and impressive Cabernet. It should drink well for at least 15 or 20 years.

Smooth and dense with ripe plum and soft herbs; toasty and rich, long and balanced.

The 2013 Legacy Red Wine, the top bottling from the Jackson family's Stonestreet property, comes across as slender and narrow, with good delicacy and nuance, but less of the vibrancy that is so typical of the year. The red cherry, pomegranate and floral flavors are nicely delineated, but the 2013 is a bit subdued and not particularly expressive, especially for a flagship wine.

A smooth, graceful opening leads to a mix of blackberry, currant, herb and cedary oak flavors, with fine-grained tannins. Very agreeable now, but with the richness, depth and balance to gain.

The 2012 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous entry-level offering from Stonestreet. Dark red cherry, plum, smoke, new leather and baking spices meld together in a soft, open-knit Cabernet Sauvignon to drink now and over the next decade or so. Expressive floral and spiced notes develop in the glass, adding perfume and lift. Dollops of Merlot and Malbec round out the blend.

A full-bodied and complex Californian red wine with aromas of wild tart blackberry and cedar brush. Finishes with a lick of dark spice. Pair with rare steak.

Dark and dense with blackberry, cassis and plum; rich and spicy with herbs and deep, intense flavors; long and balanced.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Bear Point comes across as quite sensual in this vintage, especially for a mountain wine. Blueberries, blackberries, cassis, graphite, sweet spices and violets all wrap around the finish. The 2010 impresses for its pure silkiness and length. Warm, resonant spices notes add complexity on the finish. The Bear Point is pretty but not as complex or structured as I had hoped. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022.