Light cherry red color in the glass. Cherry is the featured fruit in this light to mid weight wine, with added notes of cranberry, cola and oak seasoning. Forward and easy to drink with a good cut of acid on the bright finish.

…wine possesses outstanding concentration and purity, as well as a boatload of hard, gritty tannin. If the tannin becomes better integrated, this Cabernet will merit an outstanding score. However, I am concerned about the astringency level, which gives the wine a compressed feel despite its impressive levels of concentration an richness.

The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's (named after Jess Jackson's son) is currently all tannin and acid. It possesses a dense purple color, a powdered rock component and such a ferocious personality that I can't begin to predict when it will fully come together ... if at all. Certainly it needs to be forgotten for ten years at the minimum and will definitely last 30-40 years. However, it could be like some of those old style Italian Brunellos that last for 40-50 years, but never become pleasurable to drink. Time will tell. All of these Stonestreet offerings were made under winemaker Mike Westrick. Before his death, Jess Jackson as well as his wife, Barbara Banke, agreed that there was often too much tannin and wood in the wines. Those mistakes have been corrected over the last five or six vintages under the guidance of South African winemaker, Graham Weerts.

Good saturated ruby-red. Subdued but complex aromas of berries, licorice, cola, fresh herbs, mint, saddle leather and Earl Grey tea. Very dry and minerally, with slightly tart-edged, herbal flavors and a briary nuance.

Bright, dark, red ruby. Aromas of cassis, graphite and smoky oak, plus a hint of menthol. Brooding, briary flavor of dark berries…

Dark red-ruby color. Cassis, black cherry and licorice aromas. Intensely flavored but quite tightly wound today, though the wine's firm acidity is nicely integrated. Currently the fruit is dominated by tannic structure.

Good dark red. Brooding aromas of dark raspberry, cherry syrup, smoky, loam and mint. Broad, lush and quite dry; I get more texture than ripeness and depth of flavor. Fairly tannic finish calls for a year or so of patience.

Good deep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of smoked meat, mocha, licorice and game. Fat, round and sweet, with a slightly rustic texture to the vinous black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate flavors. Just this side of heavy. Finishes with substantial tongue-dusting tannins and very good lingering sweetness.

Vivid red. Ripe cherry and blackcurrant aromas are complicated by notes of beef jerky and smoky herbs. On the brooding side, offering chewy dark fruit flavors framed by dusty tannins. Gains sweetness slowly...

Bright red. Cherry and dark berries on the nose, with notes of cracked pepper and dark chocolate adding complexity. Chewy and a bit hard-edged, with deep dark fruit flavors and a hint of black cardamom. Very young and slow to unfold; the finish clings nicely and repeats the cherry note.

Dark red. Deep, spicy aromas of dark berries, cherry, smoked meat and cracked pepper; reminds me of a syrah. Weighty dark fruit flavors are framed by supple tannins that become firmer with air. A serious, even brooding pinot that I hope will loosen up with some bottle age.

Deep red. Red currant and cherry aromas are complemented by tobacco and licorice. Chewy and a bit dry, offering smoky cherry and dark berry flavors and a hint of gingerbread. Showing good complexity but there's a hard edge to this wine that I hope will soften with a little bottle age.

Good medium ruby. Aromas of currant, blackberry, menthol, leather and bitter chocolate. Juicy, lively and rather wild in the mouth, with flavors of redcurrant, tobacco, leather and game. Bright acids and substantial firm tannins give this young cabernet a leanness as well as a youthful toughness. Today, the finish comes across as rather dry. (A second bottle of similar quality showed more mid-palate sweetness and texture but also finished with tongue-dusting and slightly dry-edged tannins.)

Bright ruby-red. Reticent black fruit and leafy aromas complicated by pepper, graphite and candied violet. Juicy and high-pitched, with firm acidity giving it a rather rigid texture. Finishes with substantial tongue-dusting tannins. Gained in sweetness with aeration but retained its very firm edge.

Red-ruby. Musky aromas of red berries, minerals, mint and currant leaf. Intensely flavored but distinctly firm-edged; quite closed in the mouth, perhaps still shocked by the bottling last September. Finishes with tart red berry flavors and moderate length.

Inky ruby. Brooding, pungent aromas of blackcurrant, cherry and cola lifted by a minty topnote. Initially tangy in the mouth, with a slow-building sweetness to the flavors of black fruits, cherry, licorice and mint. Dusty tannins spread out to coat the palate on a finish that displays a youthfully nervy quality and a lingering cherry note. This needs time to unwind.

Good full ruby-red. Currant, dark chocolate, cedar, tobacco, loam and leafy note on the nose. Sweet, minerally and floral on the front half, then more medicinal and tough on the back. Is there enough middle-palate material to support the wine's strong tannins? Quite medicinal and tight today. Like the Howell Mountain 2000, this is considerably harder in the bottle than it appeared to be from barrel.

Good deep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of smoked meat, mocha, licorice and game. Fat, round and sweet, with a slightly rustic texture to the vinous black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate flavors. Just this side of heavy. Finishes with substantial tongue-dusting tannins and very good lingering sweetness.

Juicy and direct, with gently mulled red and black cherry fruit wrapped in a hint of red licorice. Fan-friendly finish. Drink now through 2026. 605 cases made.

Spicy up front, with nutmeg, coriander and salted caramel flavors that mingle with notes of marmalade, peach preserves and candied citrus peel. Shows ginger peel and vanilla cream on the finish. Drink now. 5,157 cases made.

A toasty, spicy note and touch of toasted macadamia complement the flavors of peach preserves, kumquat and apricot pastry. Shows a touch of buttery, toasted brioche on the finish. Drink now. 253,951 cases made.

A solid effort, with aromas of dried herb, cedar, tobacco, currant and dusty berry. Turns leaner and ends up with drying tannins, yet remains very complete. Drink now through 2024. 37,396 cases made.

Slow to unfold, this is taut and closed, with cedary oak and dense dark berry notes that are overshadowed by the wood. Best from 2017 through 2025. 1,983 cases made.

Grainy, gritty tannins stand out amid a firm mix of cedary oak, dark berry, forest floor and tobacco notes. Needs time. Best from 2017 through 2026. 46,319 cases made.