The 2015 Chardonnay Gravel Bench delivers a wonderfully expressive buttered toast, lemon curd and honeycomb-scented nose with a core of white peaches, ripe grapefruit and cedar. Medium-bodied, it has a lovely creaminess to the texture and mouth-filling ripe citrus fruit and savory layers, finishing long with some nutty nuances coming through. 322 cases produced.

What looks to be the greatest wine of the entire batch is the 2014 Gravel Bench. This is like a liqueur of rocks. It spent 11 months in 100% new French oak. The wine is incredibly rich, with great length, fabulous acidity, and an unbelievable minerality. It reminds one of a Corton-Charlemagne from Coche-Dury in a top vintage. Sadly, only 301 cases were made, but this is set for a long life of 10+ years.

Lastly, the 2013 Chardonnay Gravel Bench, the smallest cuvée at 188 cases, shows a greenish hue to its light straw color and loads of steely, wet pebbles in the mineral-laced aromatics. Some lemon oil, orange blossom and apple butter as well as poached pear notes also make an appearance in this beauty.

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

The 2011 Chardonnay Gravel Bench is the brightest and most vibrant of these 2011 Chardonnays. It is also the only wine fermented and aged in 100% new oak, although there is virtually no trace of oak at all because the wine is so impeccably balanced. Bright, focused hints of lemon, crushed rocks and white flowers all jump from the glass in a Chardonnay that captures the pure crystalline purity of the vintage. Clean, saline notes appear to support the finish. This is yet another fabulous selection within the Stonestreet portfolio. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. Stonestreet is arguably the greatest undiscovered gem in the Kendall-Jackson portfolio. The wines are always distinctive and full of personality. Best of all, they remain exceptionally fairly priced. I hope readers will take the time to check out these fabulous new releases. The Sauvignon-based whites and Chardonnays are especially strong this year. I find less excitement in the 2010 Cabernets, which come across as lacking a bit of depth, most likely owing to rain during the harvest. Tel. (800) 355-8008