Alcohol: 14,1%
Grape(s): 98.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Petit Verdot
Localization: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
Tasting Notes: As a blend of their best Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard sites, the Estate bottling is one of the most compelling illustrations of the Stonestreet Mountain. They blend this wine with discerning precision, balancing aromatic intrigue, texture and the Mayacamas' signature structural elements into a pure reflection of the vintage. The Estate Cabernet Sauvignon starts out with savory aromas of fresh blueberry, dark caramel, California bay and chaparral. As the wine opens in the glass, deep fruit flavors of bramble and blackberry alongside bright cocoa dance on the palate. The mouthfeel is rich and inviting with fine tannins, bright acid and considerable length with plenty of concentration. This wine will continue to evolve and exhibit plush tannin structure with additional time.
94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is blended with 1.5% Petit Verdot and matured for 20 months in 35% new oak. It's bursting with gregarious blackcurrant, blueberry, mint chocolate and lilac plus touches of cigar ash, licorice and coffee beans. The medium-bodied palate is light on its feet despite its deep core of perfumed fruit, with a frame of grainy tannins and juicy acidity that calls you in for another sip. This is wonderfully easy to drink despite offering plenty of complexity.
The Domain: Stonestreet Estate Vineyards is the story of a family’s vision to defy the limits of California wine growing. Jess Stonestreet Jackson and Barbara Banke established the estate in 1995, and their son Christopher Jackson and his wife Ariel continue the legacy — and the middle name “Stonestreet” has now been passed from father to son for three generations. Stonestreet is one of the most expansive and multi-faceted mountain vineyards in the world and produces a distinctive collection of single-vineyard wines — powerful Cabernet Sauvignon, soulful Chardonnay, and electric Sauvignon Blanc.
The Jackson family acts as stewards of the land, caring for this 5,500-acre mountain estate that towers high above the Alexander Valley in the Mayacamas Mountain Range. Ranging 400ft to 2,400ft in elevation, the estate showcases a dramatic array of mesoclimates on peaks, valleys, and ledges. The geological diversity of the mountain, which contains more soil types than all of France, confers a strong mineral character in the fruit, while the challenges of farming at elevation produce smaller, more concentrated berry clusters.
Knowing that it would take more than one generation to understand the complexity of the estate, Jess Jackson notably stated, “Stonestreet has the destiny to be one of the greatest vineyard sites of all time.” As the second generation, Christopher and Ariel are building upon that legacy, pushing it forward with an ever-deepening understanding of this awe-inspiring estate.
