Stonestreet Estate Vineyards is owned and operated by Christopher Jackson and his wife Ariel. Twelve years ago they had the foresight to hire a young up-and-coming winemaker, Lisa Valtenbergs, to produce wines that would epitomize their family name and brand.  In short, she is now one of the most respected woman winemakers in Sonoma.  At her insistence, all of the fruit for this wine is harvested by hand, and the cabernet is fermented in upright French oak tanks to tame tannins. 

Valtenbergs describes her wine best: "Vibrant aromas of brambly blackberry, raspberry, tobacco and sage dominate, while underneath one finds subtle undertones of baking spices and anise. The palate offers dark, savory flavors of black currant, dried cherry, dried Herbes de Provence, and a touch of vanilla bean, enveloped in fine tannins that extend the wine through a lengthy cocoa-powder laden finish."  This wine was aged 19 months in 37% new French oak. An excellent Cabernet with moderately high tannins, it will stand the test of time if you decide to buy extra bottle for cellaring, and should drink well over the following decade. We suggest decanting this wine for 30 minutes and pairing it with rich dishes.