The monster 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall is an extraordinarily dense, full-bodied, rich wine boasting notes of violets, blueberries, blackberries, cassis, cedar, graphite, and flowers. But patience is essential. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines that I have tasted.

The medium straw-colored 2008 Chardonnay Gold Run is a full-bodied, rich, vibrant style of wine packed and stacked with honeyed citrus, marmalade, creme brulee aromas and flavors. It should evolve 6-8+ years. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

From a vineyard made famous by Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer, the 2008 Chardonnay Upper Barn offers lemon zest, nectarine, honeyed brioche, citrus, and crushed rock-like characteristics in its full-bodied, beautifully textured, pure, dense, complex personality. It should drink well for a decade or more. These are far and away the most impressive Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

As hard as it to believe, the 2008 Chardonnay Gravel Bench is even better. A prodigious effort, it tastes like liquid rocks intermixed with tropical fruits, shortbread, subtle butterscotch, caramelized oranges, and candied apples. This beautifully textured, stunningly pure, loaded, long Chardonnay can be enjoyed over the next 6-10 years. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

Kirsch liqueur, lavender, licorice, raspberry, and blueberry aromas jump from the glass of the 2007 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard. From one of the estate's oldest vineyards (34 years of age) planted with the Martini clone, it possesses a dark ruby/purple color, fabulous intensity, full-bodied power, and a 35-second finish, unusually long for a Pinot Noir. This beauty should age for a decade or more. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.

The powerhouse 2008 Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard, from 95-year old vines, hides its rather formidable alcohol level beautifully (it's a great example of why technical numbers add up to nothing). A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by glorious aromas of blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries, earth, and spice. Full-bodied as well as remarkably elegant and textured, this beauty is an exquisite example of old vine Zinfandel from northern California. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. …proprietors Don and Jennifer Hartford not only produce superb Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, but also some of the finest Zinfandels made in northern California.

Slightly more opulent with a sumptuous perfume of espresso roast, chocolate, and creme de cassis as well as superb fruit density, richness, and length, this killer Cabernet can be drunk now or cellared for 20-25 years. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

Selected from the finest lots, the brilliant 2007 Chardonnay Reserve Speciale is a superb offering. It displays deep, rich honeysuckle notes intermixed with notions of nectarines, orange blossoms, butterscotch, vanilla, white peaches, baked apples, and pears. This complex Chardonnay should drink well for 4-5 years. This is another impressive group of wines from one of the most consistent winemakers and long-time veterans of the California wine scene, Dick Arrowood. He has always had the Midas touch with white varietals, yet he also continues to impress me with what he can do with red varietals.

These high elevation Cabernet Sauvignons, culled out from a larger vineyard, are remarkable offerings with aging potential of 25+ years. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana's inky purple color is followed by a rich, sumptuous bouquet of espresso roast, melted chocolate, black currants, charcoal, and subtle background oak. Full-bodied and dense with silky tannins as well as slightly more velvety texture and opulence than its sibling, this beauty should drink well for 20-25+ years.

The biggest production cuvee, the inky/purple-tinged 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Monument Ridge is fabulous. Composed of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc aged 16 months in 76% new French oak casks, it reveals abundant aromas of creme de cassis, graphite, ink, licorice, and fruitcake in a full-bodied, Pauillac-like style with plenty of sweet tannin. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

Another brilliant effort is the 2007 Pinot Noir Jennifer's, from a hillside vineyard in the cold Sebastopol hills area of Russian River. It exhibits a flowery bouquet with both blue and red fruit scents, tart acids, a generous mouthfeel, and impressive density. Everything is still playing it close to the vest in this rich, concentrated wine. It will benefit from 1-2 years of bottle age, and should keep for 10 years. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.

The similarly-colored, expressive 2007 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard (another Green Valley site) is one of my favorite Pinots in this line-up. Loads of rose petal, black raspberry, and other floral characteristics emerge from this full-bodied, layered, multidimensional wine. It reveals a subtle hint of oak, very good acidity, and unmistakable amounts of minerality. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.

A reference point offering, the 2008 Zinfandel Highwire Vineyard exhibits abundant aromas of blackberries, cassis, sweet cherries, and earth as well as blockbuster flavors. Rich and full-bodied with oodles of fruit, a layered texture, a velvety style, and a luscious, concentrated finish, this superb Zinfandel should age nicely for 5-7 years. However, it is impossible to resist at present because of its seductive power and richness. …proprietors Don and Jennifer Hartford not only produce superb Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, but also some of the finest Zinfandels made in northern California.

From even older vines (102 years), the 2008 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard boasts abundant aromas (black raspberries, blackberries, spring flowers, spice) reminiscent of a top-notch Pomerol. Silky-textured and full-bodied with a superb texture and a long finish, this is another exquisite Zinfandel to consume over the next 5-7 years.. …proprietors Don and Jennifer Hartford not only produce superb Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, but also some of the finest Zinfandels made in northern California.

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.

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 lemon and orange blossom-scented 2007 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard (an incredibly cold windswept site) offers up copious notes of caramelized citrus, marmalade, crushed rock, and subtle wood, along with high acidity, and impressive layers of concentration. This vineyard is normally harvested in November because it is such a cold, windy zone. All three of these Chardonnays are best drunk in their first 3-4 years of life, although my instincts suggest they will last longer. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites. The three Chardonnays among the current releases are all outstanding.

A mind-boggling effort, the 2007 Pinot Blanc Saralee's Vineyard is one of the finest Pinot Blancs I have ever tasted. Arrowood can perform magic with this varietal, and the 2007 (100% barrel fermented and put through 100% malolactic) must be tasted to be believed. Exotic aromas of honeyed melon, mango, lychee nut, and orange rind jump from the glass of this crisp, elegant, medium-bodied, super-fruity, precise, steely Pinot Blanc. While loaded with flavor, it comes across as delicate yet substantial. Sadly, there are only 250 cases of this big time sleeper of the vintage.

The two big Cabernets (meant to age 2-3 decades) include the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale. These two offerings will improve in the cellar, and may well outpace my conservative ratings. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale is another brilliant effort. One has only to go back to older vintages to see how well this wine ages. It is often a candidate for one of the top three or four Cabernet Sauvignons made on the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas Mountains. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of creme de cassis, cedar, licorice, tobacco leaf, and spice box. The wine is full-bodied, rich, and heady with superb concentration and depth as well as moderately high tannins in the long, 40+ second finish. Give it 2-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25 years.

As I have written before, for over 40 years Dick Arrowood has been a reference point for high quality, world-class Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese-styled sweet Rieslings from California. His 2008 Special Select Late Harvest Riesling Saralee's Vineyard, made in a Beerenauslese style, reveals wonderful apricot and peach marmalade notes intertwined with hints of maple syrup, lychee nuts, buttered apples, and shortbread. As always, this cuvee possesses terrific acidity as well as outstanding concentration. While it is almost impossible to resist at present, this 2008 will last an incredibly long time.

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.

Aromas of mangoes, pineapples, white peaches, honeyed hazelnuts, and cold steel emerge from this full-bodied, stunningly concentrated effort. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

The 2008 Chardonnay Red Point exhibits full-bodied notes of brioche, honeysuckle, caramelized nectarines and oranges, and plenty of lemon zest as well as spice. It is a dense, full-bodied beauty to drink over the next 5-8 years. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

Close in quality is the deep ruby-hued Far Coast Vineyard (a site near the Pacific Ocean). Notes of fruitcake, spicy cherries, pomegranates, and incense along with excellent depth, purity, and richness are found in this top-class Chambolle-Musigny look-alike. It should drink well for 7-10 years. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.

The brilliant 2007 Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyard (a Sonoma Coast mountain site) also comes from Dijon clones, but it is a deeper, richer, full-bodied effort. Its dark ruby color is accompanied by a sweet, floral, raspberry, and black cherry-scented bouquet with the wood component pushed to the background. Broad, deep, rich, and impressively endowed, it should drink well for 5-8 years. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.