Stonestreet Winery

Stonestreet Winery photos, charts, maps, and wines.

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One place to start the Stonestreet story would be 1989, when we first began making wine here in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley. But the true starting point came much earlier, long before any human endeavor was involved. The beginning read more...of Stonestreet can be traced back three million years when a volcano exploded and deposited a richness of rock and ash and minerals over what is now Napa and Sonoma counties. Over time, lava flow from that volcano created a mountain range between the two regions, and innumerable earthquakes since have added to the ruggedness of those mountains.

Today that mountain range is called the Mayacamas. The vineyards of our Alexander Mountain Estate are planted along the Mayacamas at elevations from 400 to 2,400 feet above sea level. These elevations help to explain why we are able to grow wine grapes which such intensity and concentration.

Soil and Struggle

The past is always close at hand when you're in our vineyards. If you were to stand, say, at our Upper Barn Vineyard (elevation: 1800 feet), from which we produce a Chardonnay by that same name, you would have a clear view of mountains whose contours tell the story of ancient volcanoes.

If you were to stand in the same vineyard and look down, you'd see rock of all sizes-from pea-sized gravel to boulders as big as buses-that hailed down on the region when mountaintops exploded eons ago. Our rocky, mineral-laden soils cause our grapevines to struggle for survival. The result is smaller berries and smaller yields per acre, but fruit that is more intense and which reflects the minerality of the soil from which it grows.

The Presence of the Pacific

These lean, rock-strewn soils, along with mountain elevations, comprise two-thirds of the Stonestreet story. Our story is not complete without the final third: climate. The perennially cool Pacific Ocean lies 22 miles to the west of our vineyards and we always feel that maritime presence. While it's true that grapes need heat to mature, it's also true that grapes shut down when the heat becomes too intense. We find that the ocean exerts precisely the right influence on the temperature of our vineyards.

The right elevations. The right soils. The right distance from the ocean. Call it coincidence, serendipity or just plain dumb luck that all three of these elements combined the way they did to make it possible to grow world-class wine grapes here.

Some Facts about Stonestreet

Total acreage: 5,100 (3 miles wide, 5 miles long)
Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Chardonnay
Elevation of vineyards: 400 to 2,400 feet
Highest point on the estate: 2,800 feet
Distance from Pacific Ocean: 22 miles
Soil types: varied-volcanic, clay-loan, rock/gravel
Five distinct ridges on the estate--named sites include Deer Knoll, Black Mountain, Bear Canyon, Black Cougar Ridge.    (hide)

JelaDragoljevic modified this page:

Oct 4

JelaDragoljevic

JelaDragoljevic added a photo for Stonestreet Winery.

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JelaDragoljevic modified this page:

Oct 4

JelaDragoljevic

JelaDragoljevic wrote a new description for Stonestreet Winery.

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blog4wine reviewed Stonestreet Chardonnay Sonoma County 1993:

August 2009

blog4wine

16 yrs and done. found this to be rather typical of what happens to California Chardonnay. Loads of fruit and lean acid, makes this a lost soldier at an age some well made white Burgundies might still be kicking. Over the...

Stonestreet Chardonnay Sonoma County 1993

Starting at $21^.00 Snoothrank: 3/5

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sitrep666 reviewed Stonestreet Merlot 2005:

August 2009

sitrep666

Stonestreet Merlot 2005

Starting at $19^.99 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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sitrep666 reviewed Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon 2004:

August 2009

sitrep666

Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Starting at $38^.99 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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blog4wine reviewed Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 1992:

August 2009

blog4wine

color-plum red nose-currant, cherry and licorice mouth-toasted nuts, earth & cherry finish - long another well held wine. could probrably go another 10 years.

Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 1992

Starting at $25^.00 Snoothrank: 4/5

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blog4wine reviewed Stonestreet Merlot 2005:

July 2009

blog4wine

Merlot the way it should be made. Deep garnet red, layers of toast, vanilla and cherry. Lingers on the palate. Not another bubblegum Merlot by any means.

Stonestreet Merlot 2005

Starting at $19^.99 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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jadean42 reviewed Stonestreet Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2002:

June 2009

jadean42

Stonestreet Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

Snoothrank: 4/5

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SpeakNSpell reviewed Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate Alexander Valley Legacy 2004:

June 2009

SpeakNSpell

Incredibly well balanced red. A bottle everyone can enjoy.

Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate Alexander Valley Legacy 2004

Starting at $131^.00 Snoothrank: 4/5

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h2w4 reviewed Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate Alexander Valley Legacy 2004:

March 2009

h2w4

This wine had wonderful cedar, cocoa, and dark fruit aromas, it was rich and lucious in the mouth and was delicious. Sitll needs some time though, the tannins were very grabbing and need to melow a bit.

Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate Alexander Valley Legacy 2004

Starting at $131^.00 Snoothrank: 4/5

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rogeryauchzy reviewed Stonestreet Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005:

February 2009

rogeryauchzy

yummy, smooth and rich taste and bouquet

Stonestreet Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Starting at $35^.99 Snoothrank: 3.5/5

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Heason2493 reviewed Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cougar Ridge 2002:

January 2009

Heason2493

Excellent..I preferred this Cab to their 96 Bordeaux

Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cougar Ridge 2002

Snoothrank: 4/5

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