Nearly as good as the 2012 Chardonnay Upper Barn is the 2012 Chardonnay Gravel Bench, which exhibits lots of wet stone-like notes intermixed with Corton-Charlemagne-like honeyed citrus, quince and white peach characteristics, and a finish that lasts for 40+ seconds. This killer Chardonnay can be consumed over the next 6-7 years. Stonestreet’s wines continue to go from strength to strength under the direction of South African winemaker Graham Weerts. The Chardonnays are spectacular, and the estate has added cuvees of Sauvignon and Semillon as well as a Riesling that are also noteworthy. The red wines are meant for those with cold storage facilities since they tend to be huge, tannic behemoths that need time in the bottle, even in a precocious, difficult vintage such as 2011. All five Chardonnays are brilliant, 100% Chardonnays fermented with indigenous yeasts in the barrel and aged ten months in anywhere from 45% to 100% new French oak. The results are stunning. The wines are all more similar than dissimilar, but I will try to articulate their minor differences. Tel. (800) 355-8008