As hard as it is to believe, the 2008 Chardonnay Gravel Bench is even better. A prodigious effort, it tastes like liquid rocks intermixed with tropical fruits, shortbread, subtle butterscotch, caramelized oranges, and candied apples. This beautifully textured, stunningly pure, loaded, long Chardonnay can be enjoyed over the next 6-10 years. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted. Kudos to proprietor Jess Jackson and winemakers Graham Weerts and Marcia Monahan for exploiting this high elevation terroir. This has been a work-in-progress for Jackson, and he has finally hit paydirt with the following wines. Readers need to pay close attention as there are some amazing Chardonnays as well as red wines emerging from Stonestreet. There are seven distinctive cuvees of Chardonnay, ranging in production from 185 cases of Red Point, to 660 cases of Lower Rim. All of these super-impressive efforts come from elevations of 900 to 1,800 feet. I tasted one Merlot and seven Cabernet Sauvignons, and as readers can tell, these are also impressive wines. Production ranges from approximately 250 cases of the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons (the only exception being the 5,000-case cuvee of Cabernet Sauvignon Monument Ridge). Tel. (800) 355-8008; Fax (707) 433-9469

Quite oaky, with vanilla and caramelized meringue notes dominating, but underneath is a dry, crisp Chardonnay of enormous size. It’s minerally, with a rich vein of pineapples and mangoes. Decant for a while, and don’t serve too cold. ——S.H.(10/1/2010)—— 93