Review: Wines of Stonestreet, 2015 Releases
Stonestreet is a high-elevation vineyard and winery in California’s Alexander Valley — all three of the wines below are made from 100% estate fruit. Let’s taste.
2014 Stonestreet Sauvignon Blanc Alexander Valley – Not especially Californian in makeup, but rather quite tropical with melon, mango, pineapple, and standard citrus fruit notes, with a quite sweet — coconut custard and sugar buns — underpinning. The finish is lightly bitter with slight ammonia notes, but by and large it’s a fine example of a New Zealand-style sauvignon blanc. Just, you know, not from NZ. B / $35
2013 Stonestreet Chardonnay Alexander Valley – Big, California style chardonnay — with vanilla, oak, and brown butter to burn. Some lychee notes develop on the body, then a lemon sweet-and-sour note hits on the back end. Candylike at times, but not overblown. Much more cleansing than most chardonnays, thanks to that touch of citrus on the finish. B+ / $40
2011 Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley – A stylish cab, with a dense layer of fresh herbs and a currant backbone. It layers in notes of vanilla and charcoal atop modest tannins. Drying on the finish. Easy to enjoy alone or with a meal, and it probably has a few years to continue maturing in bottle before it hits its peak. B+ / $45