2021 STONES No. 2

98+  PTS  ~ Jeb Dunnuck

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 2 is another single block release and it’s all Clone 4 Cabernet Sauvignon that saw the same 22 months in 95% new French oak. It’s another utterly heavenly wine from this team that offers everything you could want in a wine. Deep purple-hued with a kaleidoscope-like array of red, blue, and black fruits as well as spice, cigar, and leafy herbs, it has a subtle iron-like undercurrent, full-bodied richness, building, ripe tannins, and an incredible finish. It’s a big, powerful, yet flawlessly balanced 2021 that needs to be hidden for 5-7 years and will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity.

2019 STONES No. 2

99 PTS  ~ Jeb Dunnuck

A wine that flirts with perfection is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 2, which is all Cabernet Sauvignon from Pritchard Hill. It has a more Mountain vibe in its structure and minerality and gives up lots of red and black fruits, iron, tobacco, and savory, almost bloody aromas and flavors. A monster on the palate, it’s full-bodied, deep, and incredibly concentrated, yet has incredible purity. It needs bottle age, but it’s brilliant juice. drink 2027-2047

98 PTS ~ Decanter

Leads with decadent blueberry fruit, seductive oak spices and dried herbs. Rich and concentrated on the palate with blackberry, cherry, cassis and blackcurrants with scorched earth notes. Fine-grained tannins, crushed stones and a saline finish round out this terrific Cabernet, which is sourced from the Perraus Block 2 in the Montagna Estate on Pritchard Hill. Larry Fairchild established the label in 2011 with Philippe Melka.

2018 STONES No. 2

99 PTS ~ Jeb Dunnuck

From a site on Pritchard Hill, yet from a different parcel than Stones No. 1, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 2 offers a more restrained, powerful style that carries loads of crème de cassis, toasted spiced, coffee, chocolate, and crushed rock-like minerality. Deep, full-bodied, and layered on the palate, this is a heavenly, gorgeously balanced beauty that has everything you could want from a mountain Cabernet. Drink 2022-2050

2017 STONES No. 2

94+ PTS ~ Jeb Dunnuck

From Perrarus Block 2 on Pritchard Hill, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 2 is another 100% Cabernet Sauvignon release that was brought up in new barrels. A ripe, primordial bouquet of blue fruits, tobacco leaf, damp earth, and gravelly earth all emerge from this beauty, and it has a Graves-like earthiness and minerality, full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a great finish. It’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and have two decades of longevity.
Drink 2024 – 2044

2016 STONES No. 2

97+ PTS ~ Jeb Dunnuck

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 2 offers more mountain fruit characteristics as well as plenty of tannins to go with a beautiful perfume of spring flowers, spice, earthy minerality, and both blue and black fruits. From the Perrarus Block 2 site on Pritchard Hill that spent 20 months in 80% new French oak, give this elegant, layered, full-bodied beauty a good 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 2+ decades.
Drink 2023 – 2043.

96 PTS ~ Robert Parker WA

The 2016 Stones No.2 reveals exuberant notions of crushed blueberries, warm plums, crème de cassis and unsmoked cigars with touches of new leather, yeast
extract and cedar chest plus a hint of black olives. Big, concentrated and totally seductive in the mouth, it has a firm, velvety texture, generous fruit, finishing with tons of layers.
Drink 2022 – 2049.

2015 STONES No. 2

95 PTS ~ Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2015 Stones No. 2 from Perrarus Blocks 1 & 2 on Pritchard Hill displays a deep garnet-purple color and vivacious nose of cassis, blueberries, with nuances of cinnamon stick, incense and cedar chest. Full-bodied, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins, finishing long.

Drink 2017-2035.

2014 STONES No. 2

97 PTS ~ ROBERT PARKER JR

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 2 is from the Perrarus – Block 1 on Pritchard Hill at an elevation of 1,100+ feet. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from clone 4, aged 20 months in 100% new French oak. This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon. Black as a moonless night, with notes of blueberry liqueur interwoven with white flowers, crushed rock, blackberries, white chocolate and a touch of toast, it is opulent and fleshy, with fabulous fruit, thickness and juiciness that give it its succulent style.

Drink 2017-2036.

2013 STONES No. 2

98 PTS ~ ROBERT PARKER JR

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 2 comes from the Houyi Vineyard – Perrarus Block and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from clone 4. This is another near-perfect effort from winemaker Philippe Melka and the Fairchild team. Beautiful, sweet blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with floral notes, earthy soil undertones and forest floor notes are all present in this complex wine, which sports a full-bodied, mega-concentrated mouthfeel, but has no sense of heaviness or awkwardness.

Drink 2016-2045.