100 Amazing Wines: 15 Chardonnays
Stonestreet 2018 Alexander Valley Chardonnay
Stonestreet, a brand relative in the Jackson Family Wines fold, produces prodigious, ageworthy $100 chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons from 5,500-acre Alexander Mountain Estate. Smartly, Stonestreet also makes outstanding wines at more affordable prices, blends of various wine lots from the estate, like this chardonnay. You can pay more and get less, as this wine strikes a balance of richness with vibrancy, with grilled pineapple, peach and baked apple decadence supported by citrus notes, oak spice and palate-cleansing acidity.

100 Amazing Wines: 7 Sauvignon Blancs
Matanzas Creek 2021 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc
This Bennett Valley winery, owned by Jackson Family Wines since 2000, remains the land of lovely lavender fields and sauvignon blanc. As many as five sauvignons are bottled under this brand in most vintages, from grapes grown in Jackson Family Wines’ extensive vineyard holdings in Alexander Valley, Knights Valley and Bennett Valley. The Sonoma County wine is blended from multiple vineyards to achieve year-to-year consistency, with racy white grapefruit, lemon-lime, kiwi fruit and fresh-herb personality.

Stunning, this is oozing with spices, perfume and polish, featuring green cardamom, clove, lavender and nutmeg details that add an aromatic overtone to wild berry, cranberry and strawberry pastry flavors. Drink now through 2034.

Fragrant and expressive, with polished, creamy tannins setting the stage for blueberry, raspberry and cardamom flavors. Delivers details of palo santo, brown sugar, dried violet and sweet mint tea on the long, impressive finish. Drink now through 2034.

An impressive blend that’s stylish and handsomely structured, this slowly unfurls notes of cherry and cassis accented by espresso, toasty spice and hints of flint as it promenades on the palate toward polished tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030. From California.

Pure and focused, with a laser beam of lemon meringue, fleshy mandarin orange and orange sherbet showing incredible intensity and concentration. This remains light on its feet and focused, thanks to fresh acidity, with details of matcha and dried apricot for extra dimension on the finish. Drink now through 2027.

Refined and polished yet deeply structured, with expressive red currant, dried herbs and hints of stony minerality that build tension and richness toward big but polished tannins. Drink now through 2030.

Starts off with a core of Fuji apple and pear flavors, expanding to details of salted caramel, marmalade and orange zest, which show savory details of sesame seed and toasted herb that linger. Vibrant acidity keeps the flavors fresh. Drink now.

Firm and focused, with strawberry, cherry and raspberry flavors that are juicy, fresh and focused, plus details of Earl Grey tea, rose petal and dried herbs on a poised frame. Long finish. Drink now through 2030.

Lip-smacking, featuring a core of fresh white peach, Honeycrisp apple and lemon curd, with notes of salted butter, pickled ginger, toasted herbs and green tea that linger. Drink now through 2028.

Full-bodied and firm, with good intensity to the blueberry and blackberry flavors at the core, with dried herbs, black pepper, loam and savory green olive and tobacco details. Drink now through 2030.

Shows wonderful density, with toasted herbs, tobacco and notes of laurel bay leaf, sage and rosemary that complement a core of dark berry and cassis flavors on a velvety frame. Reveals notes of black Assam tea that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2033.

Polished and juicy, with wild blackberry, blueberry and spiced plum flavors on a thick and velvety frame, plus details of Earl Grey tea, dried sage and toasted cumin. Reveals a hint of paprika on the finish. Drink now through 2032.

A generous red, fruit-forward yet well-structured, offering cherry and red currant flavors accented by toasty oak and espresso. Drink now through 2028.

Lithe and open in feel, with a gentle breeze of dried cherry and blood orange notes flecked with tea leaf and savory hints. Drink now.

The Tenuta di Arceno estate covers 2,500 acres of rolling hills, lush green forests and ancient cypress trees with medieval stone buildings dating back hundreds of years. Strada Al Sasso is the flagship wine from this property. It is crafted from single vineyard, single block Sangiovese. This exceptional micro-cru was planted in 1998 and is located in a wind-swept corner of the estate.
This is another remarkable effort from the estate. This 100% Sangiovese showcases crème de cassis and crushed red plums that abound with a hint of saddle leather, cinnamon, Oolong tea and minerals. The tannins remain silky and polished. The acids are well integrated as you get the impression that this could be a New World wine, but you’re reassured that it is a truly a wine with the status of Gran Selezione. This is an elegant expression of Sangiovese from great terroirs.

The Tenuta di Arceno estate dates back to the 16th century and is located in the southernmost region of Chianti Classico, within the commune of Castelnuevo Berardenga. The estate encompasses 2,500 acres, but only 220 acres are planted to vineyards. Tenuta di Arceno produces six wines, three Chianto Classico DOCG wines and three Toscana IGT wines. All of the wines are estate grown and bottled. Plantings include Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot varietals. These wines are a level above other Italian producers and are considered a ‘contemporary” in style.
This wine is composed of 45% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petite Verdot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The purple-garnet rim of this wine glistens. The spice-accented aromas reveal layers of red raspberry preserves, kirsch and wild strawberries that greet you at the entry. Within the background is saddle leather, sweet oak and a swath of fresh acidity. The freshness comes from the Cabernet Franc, which adds another dimension to the wine. The wine is not weighty, but instead driven by finesse and overall enjoyment.

Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Best California Reds In Large Format Bottles
Prefer something with a bit of age? This wine already has a decade in the bottle, which leaves it softer and plusher than some of the young guns on this list. Winemaker Chris Carpenter fermented the juice with native yeast in a combination of open- and closed-top stainless steel tanks before aging in mostly new French oak. Deep dark blackberries, chocolate and licorice make for a luxurious glass — decant with care. But if you’re patient, this Howell Mountain fruit has a few more decades up its sleeve.

Medium deep crimson. Lifted dried roses strawberry graphite aromas with hint of musky notes. Well-balanced wine with voluminous strawberry raspberry, musky plum fruits. Fine loose knit chalky textures, superb mid-palate density and integrated mineral acidity. Superb layered wine with wonderful fruit complexity and energy. Drink now - 2034.

Medium deep crimson. Medium-powered wine with redcurrant, raspberry, blueberry aromas with flinty complexity. Sweet fruited palate with strawberry, red currant, raspberry pastille fruits, fine lacy tannins, some good mid-palate viscosity with a touch of mocha and integrated acidity before finishing gravelly firm. Drink 2024 – 2032.

Medium crimson. Dried roses, strawberry apricot nectarine aromas with hints of sesame ,roasted walnut. Beautiful strawberry apricot, hint raspberry pastille flavours, fine loose knit chalky tannins with al dente textures and beautiful quartz-like acidity finishing with a feathery plume. Very minerally with lovely fruit complexity and torque. Drink now – 2040.

Pale medium colour. Waxy, grilled nut, apricot aromas with shellac notes. Beautifully concentrated apricot nectarine, grilled nut flavours, some waxy notes, fine loose knit chalky / al dente textures and fresh indelible acidity. Precise, richly flavoured and crunchy. Drink now – 2028.

Medium deep crimson. Blackcurrant, blackberry, graphite aromas with mocha, roasted chestnut notes. Beautifully concentrated wine with plentiful cassis, blackberry, graphite, fine gravelly textures and integrated mocha, roasted chestnut, vanilla oak. Finishes chocolatey with ample sweet fruit notes. Gently vigorous with superb fruit complexity and mineral length. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Shiraz. Drink 2024–2038.

Deep crimson. Classic blackcurrant, dark chocolate with roasted almond, roasted chestnut notes. Inky deep wine with beautiful blackcurrant pastille, roasted chestnut flavours, fine grainy textures and underlying cedar notes. Finishes chalky firm with seductive sweet fruit notes. A highly individual style with superb definition, fruit complexity, concentration and oak handling. 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec. Maturation for around 16 months in 50% new and seasoned French oak barriques. Drink now–2034.

Pale colour. Lemon curd, grapefruit, hint graphite waxy aromas. Well concentrated grapefruit hint nectarine pear skin flavours, supple slinky / al dente textures, lovely mid-palate richness and fresh long cutting acidity. Very refreshing and complex – an amazing wine. Drink now – 2030.