Winemaker Notes
As a blend of their best Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard sites, The 2016 Stonestreet Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Estate bottling is one of the most compelling illustrations of the Stonestreet Mountain. This starts with savory aromas of blackberry, dark plum, blood orange, Star Anise, and black cherry. As the wine opens, deep fruit flavors of blackberry cobbler, dried cherry, pomegranate, cassis, and milk chocolate begin to show. The palate is rich and inviting with framed tannins, incredible length, and plenty of concentration.
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. Winemaker Lisa Valtenbergs uses artisanal winemaking practices — fruit is harvested by hand, Chardonnays undergo native yeast fermentation, and Cabernets are fermented in upright French oak tanks to tame tannins — that ensure the best expression of mountain terroir. The resulting wine is dynamic and intensely flavorful with bold structural integrity and the distinctive flavor profile of the Mayacamas Mountain Range’s Black Mountain.