Today we share one of the beautiful Chardonnay producers of the Sonoma Valley. One of the more scenic locations in the region, Stonestreet sits on a 5500 acre mountain estate that towers high above the Alexander Valley in the Mayacamas Mountain Range. Jess Stonestreet Jackson and Barbara Banke established the estate in 1995, and their son Christopher Jackson and his wife Ariel continue the legacy today. I had a beautiful visit to this winery last spring and was once again reminded of the consistency of the Chardonnay wines that they produce. At the helm is winemaker Kristina Shideler, who has a longstanding history in the industry. She is former head winemaker at Arrowood before rejoining Stonestreet — first being a part of their winemaking team back in 2012.
I adored the 2021 Stonestreet ‘Broken Rock Vineyard’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) which has amazing depth and complexity. Even better was the stunning 2021 Stonestreet ‘Upper Barn’ Chardonnay (OB, 96) which is one of the great Chardonnay from Sonoma that I have tasted this year. Big and bold with beautiful poise and concentration, this could easily be a 15 year wine. Learn more about these outstanding wines at https://www.stonestreetwines.com/ and here are my reviews of the beautiful new releases by Stonestreet.
2021 Stonestreet ‘Broken Rock Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The brilliant 2021 Stonestreet ‘Broken Rock Vineyard’ Chardonnay comes from this high altitude site in the Alexander Valley. Beautifully textured and rich, this offers bright underlying finesse with ripe pineapple and mango fruit flavors alongside flinty accents on the palate. This is a joy to consume right now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2023-2031- 95
2021 Stonestreet ‘Upper Barn Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2021 ‘Upper Barn’ is a utterly fantastic new Chardonnay bottling by Stonestreet. Right away on the nose you are allured with layers of tropical fruits and butterscotch alongside juicy pear and suggestions of baking spice dusted pie crust. The palate is rich and dense with a heady concentration and beautiful underlying tension. Finishing exceedingly long, this is a head-turning bottling that will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2023-2033- 96
2018 Stonestreet ‘Alexander Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The outstanding 2018 Stonestreet ‘Alexander Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a fantastic new bottling that is already beautifully evolved. This is neatly balanced stuff with cassis, black currants and shades of freshly tilled soils on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy this beautiful, well-structured Cabernet now and over the next ten years. Drink 2023-2033- 93