(Crocker & Starr Cabernet Sauvignon Stone Place, Napa Valley) As the rehabilitated vines in this St. Helena estate (dating back to the 1870s) have evolved since winemaker-partner Pamela Starr’s arrival, the Stone Place bottling has become 100% Cabernet Sauvignon for the first time in its 10-year history. The nose is an intriguing mix of shriveled plum, blackcurrant, rope tobacco, and roasting espresso, translating into black chocolate-covered blueberry with dashes of cinnamon and clove on the palate. As always, the textures are perfectly scaled, seamless, sumptuous, and sinewy. Hot Picks
By Randy Caparoso
(Crocker & Starr Cabernet Sauvignon Stone Place, Napa Valley) As the rehabilitated vines in this St. Helena estate (dating back to the 1870s) have evolved since winemaker-partner Pamela Starr’s arrival, the Stone Place bottling has become 100% Cabernet Sauvignon for the first time in its 10-year history. The nose is an intriguing mix of shriveled plum, blackcurrant, rope tobacco, and roasting espresso, translating into black chocolate-covered blueberry with dashes of cinnamon and clove on the palate. As always, the textures are perfectly scaled, seamless, sumptuous, and sinewy. Hot PicksJuly 31, 2010, (See more on Sommelier Journal...)