AMERICAN WINE

This is not the first time that Stonestreet Chardonnay has been on our Top North American White wine list, but for those of you who have tasted this glorious elixir in the past, you can see why it’s on our list once again! Stonestreet’s vineyards stand on the western ridge of the Mayacamas Mountains towering over the Alexander Valley below. High elevations, volcanically derived soils and cooling maritime breezes give winemaker Lisa Valtenbergs a unique location from which to pursue the quest of mountain winegrowing, and she makes Chardonnays of exceptional concentration, purity and depth. The majority of this bottling is produced from the Hyde-Wente clone of Chardonnay, which, in our opinion, produces the more complex and nuanced Chardonnays on the market today!

ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 97+ POINTS - "The 2016 Chardonnay Upper Barn Vineyard comes from the oldest vines on the estate, planted in 1982. Fermented in barrel and aged for 11 months in 47% new French oak, it is a little closed to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal pink grapefruit, white peaches and Granny Smith apples with nuances of honeysuckle, lemon tart and praline. Medium to full-bodied, it explodes in the mouth with citrus and savory layers, with a gorgeous silkiness and loads of ginger and mineral sparks coming through on the finish. Wow! 813 cases produced."

JEB DUNNUCK 96 POINTS - "Stonestreet falls under the Jackson Family umbrella and focuses on higher elevation, mountain sites. The wines, made by Lisa Valtenbergs, are rock-solid across the board."

"More tropical mango and pineapple notes define the 2016 Chardonnay Upper Barn, which is fresh, lively, and pretty on the palate. Both Chardonnays here have a terrific salinity, impeccable balance, and a great finish. This estate is from Wente and from vines planted in the 1980s. It's a seamless, elegant, structured, rocking Chardonnay that's going to age."

Kudos to Fritz Stuhlmuller and the entire Stuhlmuller team for producing exceptional handcrafted wines year in and year out at a truly affordable price point. Their 150-acre property is located at the southern edge of the Alexander Valley. Having incredible diverse soil types,cool nighttime temperatures and morning fog give the wines their signature minerality, fresh acidity and nuanced complexity. The best grapes that comprise the river benchlands and the hillside sections of the vineyard are the backbone for this wine.

The nose of this wine offers dazzling aromas of fresh orchard fruit, including Asian pear, green apple and white peach, as well as richer notes of white corn, lemon custard and a hint of nuttiness. On the palate, flavors of spicy pear and nectarine are supported by seamlessly integrated oak and just a touch of acidity, resulting in a lovely texture, and a long, resonant finish.

Kudos to Fritz Stuhlmuller and the entire Stuhlmuller team for producing exceptional handcrafted wines year in and year out at a truly affordable price point. Their 150-acre property is located at the southern edge of the Alexander Valley. Having incredible diverse soil types,cool nighttime temperatures and morning fog give the wines their signature minerality, fresh acidity and nuanced complexity. The best grapes that comprise the river benchlands and the hillside sections of the vineyard are the backbone for this wine.

The nose of this wine offers dazzling aromas of fresh orchard fruit, including Asian pear, green apple and white peach, as well as richer notes of white corn, lemon custard and a hint of nuttiness. On the palate, flavors of spicy pear and nectarine are supported by seamlessly integrated oak and just a touch of acidity, resulting in a lovely texture, and a long, resonant finish.