Deep straw color. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderate extract and oak. Apples, minerals, vanilla. Still tightly wound with focused, lively character on the palate. Opens up a bit on the long finish.

Bright pale golden hue. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Subtle extract. Mild oak. Toast, green apples, peaches. Crisp and steely palate. Pleasant, round finish.

Light gold. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderate extract, mild oak. Apples, pears, minerals. Clean and crisp with bright fruit. Zesty finish.

Ranked number 5 for the year 1989.

Among slightly bigger, slightly rugged Cabernets that have the stuff for years of successful cellaring, the broad, impressively extracted Stonestreet 1993 are easy to recommend.

Included in Wine Spectator's Top 10 List, 1989.

[Among] California's most exceptional producers of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and proprietary red wines. "This wine is an immense, monster-styled Cabernet Sauvignon that is vaguely reminiscent of the pre-1976 vintages of Mayacamas, but with more complexity and finesse. It is a mountain Cabernet with an opaque black/purple color, followed by a tight, backward, but promising nose of licorice, minerals, and black fruits. The inky color suggests a formidably-endowed wine, and that is just what this huge, super-concentrated, impressively-endowed Cabernet Sauvignon represents. The wine is not just a ponderous heavyweight, as anyone who examines its equilibrium, harmony, and potential for 20-30 years of aging should notice. Remarkably, this wine was kept in 60% new French oak barrels, but the oak has been soaked up by the wine's intense fruit level. Patience will be a virtue required by prospective purchasers of this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020.

Lastly, the 1994 Sangiovese displays a charcoal/cherry-scented nose, and compact, clipped, high acid flavors.

Who's On First (focusing on the creme de la creme of California's wine producers).

The first Charonnay to be released under the Hartford Court label is the 1995 Chardonnay Arrendell Vineyard, of which, sadly, there are only 300 cases. It is a spectacular Chardonnay, offering a complex, smoky, hazelnut, honeyed, citrus blossom-scented nose, followed by layers of creamy-textured, concentrated fruit nicely buttressed by adequate acidity. New oak barrels have provided a subtle notion of smoke and toast, but the fruit dominates the wine's personality. This full-bodied, rich, elegant Chardonnay is undoubtedly going to make heads turn. It should drink well for 2-3 years.

The 1994 Merlot looks to be even better than the 1993. It may turn out to be a worthy competitor to Matanzas Creek Merlot. The wine reveals an opaque purple color, a sweet, smoky, chocolatey nose, full body, terrific fruit, and intensity, and a spicy, rich, layered finish. The wines tannin is largely obscured by the abundant quantities of fruit, glycerin, and extract. This lusty Merlot should drink well for 10-12 years.

The 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon appears to be even more intense and powerful, with an opaque purple color, and gobs of lavishly oaked, smoky, cassis fruit intertwined with aromas of roasted herbs and high quality toasty oak. This powerful Cabernet reveals plenty of tannin, low acidity, and outsanding concentration and purity. This large-scaled, remarkably well-balanced wine should drink well young yet last for two decades.

The top Chardonnay in Cambria's portfolio is the Chardonnay Reserve, a blend of the best barrels in the cellar. Lush, ripe tropical fruit aromas and flavors are well-displayed in the 1994, as well as more high quality, toasty new oak, and a deeper, more powerful and concentrated feel on the palate. Moreover, this wine provides a hefty alcoholic kick. This is a big, boldly-styled Chardonnay to drink over the next 1-2 years.

[Among] California's most exceptional producers of Pinot Noir. "The 1995 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir exhibits more complexity, a more Burgundian, earthy, spicy nose, deep, dense, rich, full-bodied flavors, sweet tannin, and enough acidity to provide delineation to the wine's well-endowed personality.

Lastly, the 1995 Zinfandel Hartford Ranch is a worthy successor to the blockbuster 1994. Tons of new oak at first smell and taste excessive, but there is more than enough black-cherry, raspberry, and briery fruit to soak up the wood. This is a strongly-flavored, forceful, full-bodied, silky-textured Zinfandel with heady alcohol in its lusty finish. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.

Offers lofty levels of fruit as well as a full-bodied, sweet-tasting, fat, lavishly-oaked style. The result is a decadent, lusty Chardonnay to drink over the next 1-2 years. Interestingly, this wine offers more than a gushing mouthful of Chardonnay fruit. The wood and underlying crisp acidity give this wine a vibrant, zingy mouthfeel. It should drink well for 1-2 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.

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.

For example, the 1995 Chardonnay (900 cases) was made with 100% native yeast fermentation, put through full malolactic fermentation, completely barrel fermented, and aged in 75% new oak for nearly 18 months, and bottled without filtration. There was considerable stirring of the lees to encourage greater complexity and richness. It is an impressive, young, Burgundian-styled Chardonnay with a smoky, hazelnut, buttery popcorn, honeyed pineapple-scented nose and flavors, full body, great purity and ripeness, and a long, lusty finish. It could easily stand up to just about any Batard-Montrachet made in France, although I doubt it will be long-lived. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.