Stonestreet- Not your Mama's Chardonnay

 Stonestreet's vineyards are situated on what amounts to be basically a wildlife preserve. Of the 6000 pristine acres of Alexander Mountain Estates, less than 17% of those acres are devoted to vineyards. The resulting wine rocks. I've been to Overlook on top of AME several times and am always in awe of the breathtaking views, looking down over Alexander Valley proper.
For whatever bizarre reason, the mountain appellations of Sonoma have not been officially delineated from their lower elevation counterparts as has been done in Napa. There is no debate that both soil and climate are vastly different from on top of AME then from Alexander Valley floor, yet for some reason, the separation has not been made. The same could be said for the elevated vineyards of Knights Valley, like Peter Michael's Les Pavots or Anakota's Helena Dakota and Helena Montana. I studied this region and interestingly, well to me anyhow, the pluton is deepest from the mountain tops around here. Who cares right? Vines that struggle for good drainage and result in complex wines, that's who!!!
 I digress...We are fortunate because at this moment, Stonestreet offers more bang for the buck then wines from the other side of the Mayacamas range (the range that separates Napa from Sonoma) as it's wines are so reasonably priced. Not to mention that they use 100% French oak, giving a lovely marriage of wine and fruit without overpowering.
I use to run into people who would say "yeah, yeah. I've had Stonestreet." To which I could safely counter that they had not. See, Stonestreet used to be a blend of Alexander Mountain and Alexander Valley. By choice, they sacrificed over 60% of their production by deciding to move toward a higher quality wine. The result, wines with acid (shocking in the days of high alcoholic fruit bombs), ripe tannins in the reds and fruit that matches the alcohol which is in balance. The wines are harmonious but speak to the rugged aspect of the mountain from whence they hail.
Try the Christopher's Cab...as my Dad says, "It'll put some hair on your chest." If you like your chest the way it is, try the Single Vineyard Chardonnay's for lovely bright fruit, notes of minerality and and medium plus refreshing acid.

Incredible Cardinale!!!

I've always been a fan of Cardinale and I never needed a rating to back up my opinion either. Cardinale is a blend of Cabernet and Merlot and for the 2006 vintage, is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remaining 14% of the cepage being Merlot (all of which is sourced from high atop Howell Mountain.) The Cabernet is sourced from all over Napa Valley : Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Stags Leap, Spring Mountain, and St. Helena. Christopher Carpenter (winemaker for Cardinale not Chris Carpenter of the Cardinal's although the coincidence is odd...) is passionate about the grapes that go into making this and works closely with vineyard managers in Napa to ensure that all is in harmony.Half of the vineyards or Organically farmed and the other half are Sustainably farmed. The grapes are brought in on tiny yellow bins to be sorted by hand at two stations. The wine sees 100% new French Oak for 19 months. What does this all mean in the resulting wine? Complex layers of finesse and elegance combined with power and structure. From the different vineyards, elements are integrated of black fruit, cassis, smokey notes, violets, cocoa powder and raspberries. The structured ripe tannins marry nicely with the cinnamon, hint of vanilla and clove spices provided by the use of French oak. Parker says give this wine 15-20 years witha 95 point rating and Wine Enthusiast just gave the wine 100 points- a perfect score!!!
I say giddy-up...Once again a phenomenal example of the expertise of blending across regions and the use of the two classically paired Bordeaux varietals.