Stonestreet's Chardonnays are barrel-fermented in French oak, of which one-third is new. They reveal copious amounts of flamboyant, toasty, smoky notes, along with lavish ripeness, bordering on decadence in vintages such as the 1994. Although flamboyant, they are surprisingly well-balanced by acidity. The 1995 Chardonnay Alexander Mountain Estate is more backward, but it should turn out to be just as rich, tasty, and enjoyable as the 1994. These are wines to drink during their first 2-3 years of life.Stonestreet is a 40,000 case production winery that is part of the Kendall-Jackson umbrella organization known as Artisans and Estates. The wines to date have been impressive, and as the tasting notes in this article exhibit, upcoming releases are equally convincing. This winery has done an excellent job with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and their proprietary red wine called Legacy. All of Stonestreet's 90 acres of vineyards are located in the Alexander Valley. The property, purchased by Jess Jackson in 1989, seems to have immense potential, as evidenced by the following wines, all of which were made by the talented Steve Test. One has to admire Test's simplistic goals of producing wines that possess "richness, depth, balance, power, suppleness, and delicacy." This winery is doing everything right, making it one of the superstar producers in the Jess Jackson-owned group of small estate wineries collectively known as Artisans and Estates.Tel. (707) 263-9333; fax (707) 263-6817 (Kendall-Jackson)
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