The mountain-styled 2001 Meritage is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc sourced from vineyards in the Mayacamas Mountain Range as well as the Alexander Valley and Knight’s Valley. Notions of black cherries, lead pencil shavings, cedar, and spice box are offered in a medium-bodied, stylish format. Drink it over the next 10-12 years. Tel. (800) 355-8008; Fax (707) 433-9469

The 2001 Legacy, a proprietary red wine blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, exhibits the best balance between tannin and fruit. It does not have the intensity of the Black Cougar Ridge or the ferociousness of the Christopher’s, but it might be better for it. Not the most complex or concentrated of this trio, it appears to have struck a sweeter note between the wine’s structure, fruit and charm.All of these Stonestreet offerings were made under winemaker Mike Westrick. Before his death, Jess Jackson as well as his wife, Barbara Banke, agreed that there was often too much tannin and wood in the wines. Those mistakes have been corrected over the last five or six vintages under the guidance of South African winemaker, Graham Weerts.Tel. (800) 355-8008