Bright red-ruby. Dark aromas of cassis, licorice, menthol, tree bark and fresh herbs. Spicy, savory and juicy, showing enticing sweetness to its intense black fruit and licorice flavors. Finishes with dusty tannins and slightly elevated acidity.

The opaque purple-colored 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Monument Ridge comes from elevations ranging from 500 to 2,400 feet. It offers up aromas of stones, sweet red and black currants, and a big rich attack followed by a touch of herbaceousness. The latter component kept my score from going higher. Composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, it was aged 18 months in one-third new French oak. An excellent Cabernet with moderately high tannins, it will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring, and should drink well over the following decade.

Mocha, espresso, cassis, violets, vanilla and French oak all explode from the glass as the 2010 Legacy Red Wine opens up. A full-throttle, intense wine, the 2010 isn't shy. Although quite rich and unctuous, it has plenty of underlying structure to balance the intensity of the fruit. A silky, racy finish rounds things out nicely. The 2010 is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, plus dollops of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.

Good bright red-ruby. Cool aromas of blackberry, licorice, menthol and violet. At once ripe and dry, offering attractive lift to the cassis, cherry, tobacco and brown spice flavors. Finishes juicy and persistent, with dusty tannins and good floral lift.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Monument is gorgeous and totally juicy. Blackberry jam, blueberries, savory herbs, tar, pencil shavings and sweet spices all burst from the glass in this deeply resonant, expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. Hints of mocha, espresso and vanilla linger on the finish. The 2010 includes a splash of Petit Verdot and Malbec to round out the Cabernet. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.

Good dark red. Currant, graphite and loam on the nose and palate, plus a whiff of chocolate. Supple, sweet and ripe, with harmonious acidity and suave, sweet tannins giving the wine considerable early appeal. A pinch of herbs perks up the wine's finish.

Rich and succulent, this mountain-grown Cabernet offers concentrated black currant, cherry, red licorice, date-nut cake, vanilla and smoke flavors that are wrapped into firm, complex but gentle tannins. It's lovely now, with the focused balanced to age for several years.

Offers sweet toasty oak interwoven with chocolate, espresso, dried herb, black currant, and earth notes. A dense, medium-bodied effort with no hard edges, it will drink well for 7-8 years.

The 2015 Sauvignon Blanc shows the ripeness and intensity of the vintage in a style that emphasizes textural weight over energy. Overall, the 2015 is tasty, but also a touch flabby.

The 2008 Sauvignon Blanc exhibits a light straw color in addition to lots of lemon zest, lime, and other citrus notes in a crisp, steely, fresh style loaded with texture and intensity. A 100% Sauvignon Blanc aged six months in neutral oak, it should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 1-2 years. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

The 2013 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc Terrace Ridge is soft, pretty and expressive. Melon, white flowers and mint blossom in a textured, caressing white with tons of near and medium-term appeal.

The 1997 Chardonnay is an excellent value. …it exhibits a big, roasted nut, smoky, Meursault-like nose with copious quantities of honeysuckle and rich, buttery, tropical fruit. Lavishly rich and mouthfilling, this widely available Chardonnay should have immense crowd appeal.

Bright gold green color. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extract and oak. Apples, citrus, browned butter. Rich buttery aromas reveal a lively wine with marked oak character but good acid balance.

Stonestreet's Chardonnays are barrel-fermented in French oak, of which one-third is new. They reveal copious amounts of flamboyant, toasty, smoky notes, along with lavish ripeness, bordering on decadence in vintages such as the 1994.

A little scaled back in volume and scope when compared to its two bigger, more-lavish mates from Stonestreet, this amiable, nicely focused Chardonnay keys on fresh apples with a light overlay of oak and hints of sweet lemons surfacing here and there. It may not be as big and bold as its partners, but it is by no means a small and stingy wine, and its balanced combination of integral acidity and tempered richness commends near-term mealtime use with dishes ranging from lightly sauced salmon to classic roast chicken.

Among the seven Chardonnays, the generic cuvée, the 2013 Chardonnay is the largest production item at just under 1,900 cases. It is 100% Estate Chardonnay, with indigenous yeast fermentation and aged 11 months in about 44% new French oak. In fact, the oak in even the single-vineyard lot wines tends to be about 40%-50%, with the only wine using 100% new French oak being the Gravel Bench cuvée. The 2013 Chardonnay offers notes of lemon, custard, orange blossom and brioche in a medium-bodied, crisp, zesty, impressively concentrated and yet well-delineated style. It should drink nicely for 3-4 years.

With sweetly ripe pineapple, tangerine and mango fruit, this Chard is brightened by a squirt of lemony acidity. It’s very fine, but seems a little less defined and complex than Stonestreet’s other new Chards. Don’t drink it too cold.

Bright and blossomy with notes of fresh blossoms and cream setting lightly atop fairly substantial apple and pear like fruit in its nose, this solid, medium-full bodied Chardonnay exhibits fine continuity and fruity depth once on the palate. It is open and easy to taste, but it is also persistent and well-balanced, and it affords the happy choice of being quite tasty now or a prize to be put away in the cellar.

The 2007 Chardonnay Alexander Mountain Estate exhibits attractive poached pear, honeysuckle, and creme brulee scents, medium to full body, good fruit, a subtle touch of oak, a fleshy texture, and fine freshness and vibrancy from lively acidity. It should drink well for 2-3 years.

Pale color. Very clean and pure on the nose, with aromas of orange, ginger and stone. Then juicy and penetrating in the mouth, with slightly edgy acids and notes of grapefruit skin and rocks giving this a rather austere character. But this steely, low-fat chardonnay avoids coming off as hard.

Pale yellow. Pineapple, green apple, pear, honey, white flowers and a steely note on the slightly oily nose. Sweet, rich and layered, with nicely integrated acids. In a softer style but maintains good freshness.

I get the idea of this wine. It's to craft a mountain Chard that's lean and acidic now, but cellar candidate. It is indeed tight and austere, not offering a lot of satisfaction beyond oak and a hint of spicy pear on the finish. If you're adventurous, hod on until 2006.

Big Burgundian garlic lees, toasted spice nose with hints of vanilla and floral green apples mark this mix of Sonoma Valley, Carneros, Russian River and Alexander Mountain Estate fruit. Fermentation in 100% French oak, sur lie ageing and monthly stirring makes for rich, round, fat slightly soft chardonnay with an oily texture but well balanced. Lots of smoky, buttery, spicy vanilla, green apple, garlic, mineral flavours. Big and bold but not without some finesse.

The 2014 Pinot Meunier Van Der Kamp Vineyard is a pretty, delicate wine with lifted aromatics, nicely sculpted fruit and lovely overall balance. Crushed flowers, tobacco, mint and dried cherries add shades of nuance on the mid-weight finish. The Pinot Meunier is a bit less fruit forward than most Siduri wines, with plenty in the way of floral and savory character.

North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley’s Incredible 2016s Readers looking for a charming, delicious Pinot Noir that has plenty of character yet doesn't break the bank should check out the 2017 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County from Adam Lee. It has plenty of classic strawberry and cherry fruits, some subtle forest floor and spice nuances, medium body, and a fruit-forward, balanced style.