Sourced from the original 1982 plantings at Jackson Family Wines’ Upper Barn site within their Alexander Mountain Estate Vineyard, this Chardonnay is planted to Wente Clone on AxR1 rootstock at 1,800 feet of elevation. The same parcel once contributed fruit to Marcassin’s Gauer Vineyard Upper Barn bottlings and Peter Michael’s Mon Plaisir during Mark Aubert’s tenure there in the 1990s and early 2000s, and has been used exclusively by Stonestreet since 2010. The wine was aged 11 months in 70% new French oak, followed by 5 months in stainless steel before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The 2024 vintage shows remarkable poise and clarity, defined by cool, crisp acidity and chiselled stony minerality. Fragrant white flowers lead into layers of lemon oil, lemon curd, candied ginger, quince, and warm brown spices. Each element is expressive and precise, with depth, purity, and impressive length. A deeply flavorful wine of tension and refinement; pure, delineated, and elegant. Sphaerics was founded in 2022 by Brian Ball and Laura Jones, a husband-and-wife team of wine industry veterans. The wines are made by Laura, who fine-tuned her Chardonnay and Pinot Noir winemaking skills during a 5-year tenure at Aubert and a stint at Domaine Armand Rousseau.

Grown at 1800 feet from old vines planted in 1982 on old wente, this brings a mountainous feel with real density of fruit and old-vine depth of flavor, with a laser-like focus under the power. Aromas of grilled lemons, wet stones, orange blossom, salted nuts, lanolin and beeswax. The palate is mid- to full-bodied with a luscious, rounded mouthfeel and a bright line of acidity that cuts through the long, intense finish with a mineral edge. What an excellent chardonnay this is, sourced from an excellent vineyard and quickly becoming one of California’s finest after only three releases under this label. Drink or hold.

A shade deeper yet still bright yellow-green, the 2024 Chardonnay Upper Barn Vineyard If And Only If immediately charms with salted lime oils, green apple candy, white flowers, raw hazelnut, and stony wet stones. Long fermentations have given this wine tremendous energy and verve without heaviness. Sapid, savory, and lifted with pine-needle freshness, it’s incredibly long and energetic on the palate. Drink 2027-2047.

(94-96 points) The 2024 Chardonnay If And Only If is pliant, yielding and extremely generous today. Showing slightly less phenolic/mineral intensity and a notably softer build than the 2023 tasted alongside, the 2024 impresses for its roundness and approachability as it emanates layers of floral-infused citrus fruit, marzipan and ripe apricot. A worthy follow-up to the 2023. - Billy Norris

There’s impressive intensity to the concentration of this white in contrast to its crisp, mouthwatering flavors. Notes of caramelized lemon, tangerine, ripe and salted melon, and bergamot oil are generous and bold, but the details emphasized by the vibrant acidity include crushed rock minerality, tarragon and lemon balm. Long finish. Drink now through 2039. 300 cases made.