The 2013 Chardonnay Gravel Bench is the most explosive and complete of these Chardonnays. Intense aromatics meld into a core of deep, resonant fruit, all supported by veins of acidity and minerality that confer energy.

Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Zena Crown is a highly perfumed, gregarious wine, showing off flamboyant red cherry and cranberry juice notes over an undercurrent of violets, rose hip tea, dark chocolate and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully concentrated with muscular red fruit and earthy layers supported by firm, grainy tannins and a racy backbone. It finishes long and savory.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two Pale to medium ruby in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Bramble Hill Vineyard is youthfully shy on the nose, giving way to notes of boysenberry, blueberry and warm black cherries with suggestions of violet, pipe tobacco and exotic spice. The light to medium-bodied palate is generous, giving up wonderful layers of warm, dark fruit, restrained baking spice and earth notes. It’s framed with firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness to lift the long layered finish. Wonderful!

The 2017s From Sonoma A selection from the Jackson Vineyard in Bennett Valley, the 2016 Merlot Jackson Park Vineyard is also almost all Merlot (there’s 1.5% Cabernet Sauvignon) and it spent 18 months in 44% new French oak. More concentrated, deep, and layered, it offers Saint-Julien-like notes of pure blackcurrants, cassis, campfire, and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, with plenty of mid-palate depth, ultra-fine tannins, and nicely integrated yet notable acidity, it’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for 15-20 years.

The 2017s From Sonoma Lastly, the 2016 Journey Red is a blend of 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 46% new French oak. Sourced from the Jackson Park and Alexander Mountain Estate Vineyards, it’s another fresh, elegant, even graceful release from winemaker Marcia Torres Forno that offers classic notes of blue fruits, violets, pine forest, and spice box. With medium to full body, subtle background oak, integrated acidity, and a great finish, it shines for its purity, balance, and elegance while still having plenty of density and fruit.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, from Keyes Vineyard, is one of the most powerful wines in the Lokoya lineup. Firm tannins support a core of explosive dark blue and black fruit, grilled herbs, menthol and licorice, all of which come to life in a decidedly powerful, super-intense expression of Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. There is no shortage of personality here. Full-bodied and vibrant, the take-no-holds 2010 is going to require patience, but it is beautiful, even today.

The dense purple-colored, perfumed 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain offers compelling aromas of violets (or is it acacia flowers?). Full-bodied with great elegance and precision as well as dense, concentrated, powerful fruit, this intense Cabernet will age gracefully for two decades or more. One of the stars in Jess Jackson's Artisans and Estates portfolio, Lokoya focuses on high elevation mountain vineyards in four separate Napa appellations. Winemaker Chris Carpenter has been the force behind these wines for many years.

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain exhibits a fabulous scorched earth, almost volcanic ash sort of nose with blackberry and cassis notes. Dense ruby/purple-colored, with full-bodied power and richness, relatively soft tannins, and a sensationally layered mouth feel, this is concentrated but beautifully complex already and set for at least 15-20 years of evolution. Four absolutely stunning Cabernet Sauvignons from winemaker Chris Carpenter, these are the creme de le creme of some of the Jess Jackson-owned Napa vineyards. All mountain sites, all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, all unfined and unfiltered - and all four are of irrefutably great quality. The case productions are relatively limited, from a very small 120-cases from the Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain sites to nearly 800 cases of Mt. Veeder. They all share several things in common - great ripeness, great texture, and fabulous aging potential.

Austere and dominated by its tannic structure and crushed rock minerality, the dark ruby/purple-colored 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is easily the most backward and most Bordeaux-like of this group. Firmly structured with some austerity, the wine is intense, rich, full-bodied, and loaded with potential, but backward at present. It should be cellared for at least 5-6 years, and drunk over the following 25. Four absolutely stunning Cabernet Sauvignons from winemaker Chris Carpenter, these are the creme de le creme of some of the Jess Jackson-owned Napa vineyards. All mountain sites, all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, all unfined and unfiltered - and all four are of irrefutably great quality. The case productions are relatively limited, from a very small 120-cases from the Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain sites to nearly 800 cases of Mt. Veeder. They all share several things in common - great ripeness, great texture, and fabulous aging potential.

Its blueberry, créme de cassis, floral, and roasted coffee-scented bouquet is followed by a wine tannic, powerful finish. Although stunningly rich, it is the least accessible at present.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages Blended of 90% Merlot, 5.5% Petit Verdot and 4.5% Tannat, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Merlot Howell Mountain struts out of the glass with vivacious notions of preserved plums, Black Forest cake and blackberry compote with touches of baking spices, black soil, truffes and licorice. The palate is full, rich, concentrated and earthy with firm, grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and earthy.

The 2014 Stature, which is a Sonoma County (mostly Alexander Valley and Knights Valley) blend representing 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is dense, concentrated and perfumed with notes of cedar wood, unsmoked cigar tobacco, lavender, blackberry and cassis. There’s also some vanilla from the oak. The wine is full-bodied and concentrated, with sweet tannin and adequate acidity. This wine should drink well for up to 20 or more years.

The 2017s From Sonoma Lastly, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Stature could be thought of as the flagship cuvée. It’s 60% from Alexander Valley and 40% from Knights Valley. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 60% new French oak, it’s a pure, classic, beautiful wine that has textbook cassis fruit as well as loads of graphite, lead pencil, smoky oak, tobacco, and even a hint of orange blossom. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, with fine tannins and terrific purity of fruit, it’s approachable today yet will be better with 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15+ years.

There are 400 cases of the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Napa Mountain. This is also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged primarily in French oak, of which 55% was new. This comes from their Veeder Peak Estate Vineyard, a site that has provided some fabulous Cabernet Sauvignons over the years. It needs another 4-5 years of bottle age, but it should last three decades or more. Inky purple with notes of blueberry and black raspberry liqueur, cassis, blackberries, new vanillin from oak and a wet, foresty floor note that’s elaborate and penetrating. This is a very full-bodied, powerful, masculine, multidimensional wine of super intensity and purity. Drink over the next 25-30 years.

A fabulous wine that should be purchased by the case is the 2007 Highland Estates Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa's Mt. Veeder. Made from estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon from the Veeder Peak Vineyard, this is a stunningly rich, full-bodied, opulent, blue/purple-colored Cabernet displaying notes of ink, asphalt, creme de cassis, blueberries and hints of underbrush and spring flowers. It is another sensational Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Veeder, a tricky sector in the Mayacamas Mountains. A wine for true connoisseurs, this 2007 needs another 4-5 years of cellaring and should be capable of lasting 20-25 years or more. Kendall-Jackson enjoys a well-deserved reputation for over-delivering quality vis à vis price for its wines.

A limited cuvée of 289 cases, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Mountain (100% from Mt. Veeder) is a gorgeous California Cabernet Sauvignon reminiscent of the Graves wine La Mission Haut-Brion. A scorched earth and volcanic ash character intermixed with loads of smoky cassis, blackberry, and blueberry jump from the glass of this full-bodied wine that is powerful, rich, and built for the long haul. This is a fabulous wine that is actually a super value for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 30 years.

Deep garnet-purple, the 2015 Brooks Road Shiraz has a beautiful fragrance of ripe cherries, mulberries, potpourri, lavender and cinnamon stick with hints of licorice and garrigue. Medium to fullbodied, the palate has bags of vitality, with fresh, juicy blackberries and peppery nuances, contrasted by ripe, rounded tannins. It finishes long and peppery.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2014 Brooks Road Shiraz possesses baked blueberries and Black Forest gateau flavors. This Syrah is meaty - savory in style rather than a fruit-bomb - with dark chocolate and licorice nuances. Rich and full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins, it is more structured on the palate. The finish is long and harmonious.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The medium to deep ruby-purple colored 2016 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard simply sings of black cherry pie, freshly crushed blackberries and pomegranate with hints of spice cake, dark chocolate and sassafras. Medium to full-bodied, rich and spicy in the mouth, it fills the palate with decadent black berries and a velvety texture, finishing on a lingering peppery note.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The 2016 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Hailey's Block has a medium ruby-purple color and features exuberant notes of Black Forest cake, kirsch and wild blueberries with hints of baking spices and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with juicy red, black and blue fruit layers, framed by plush tannins and finishing on a spicy note.

Red currants, cherries, dried herbs, and smoked earth define the 2015 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard, one of the more fresh, lively and pure efforts in the lineup. It has a sappy, vibrant, spring flower character, good acidity and a great finish. This is a pretty, vibrant Pinot Noir.

This is only the second vintage produced of this wine. Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Warrior Princess opens with warm red currants, black cherries and violets notes with touches of black soil, stewed tea, garrigue and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers up a very firm structure of wonderfully ripe, grainy tannins, with a refreshing backbone supporting the intense earthy/savory flavors, finishing long.

Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Muldune Trail features expressive mulberries, stewed red plums and dusty earth notes with touches of garrigue, fresh hay, oolong tea and cloves. Medium-bodied with an appealing chewy grip to the texture, the palate gives compelling savory layers with a long, lively finish.

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard has compelling chocolate-covered cherries, raspberry pie and warm mulberries nose with touches of potpourri, Ceylon tea and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, very finely structured and very fresh, it gives intense black berry and savory layers, finishing on a lingering earthy note.

The 2017s From Sonoma From a site south of Sebastopol planted all to old Wente clones of Chardonnay, the 2016 Chardonnay Jennifer's spent 16 months in 23% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It’s deeper colored and has a rich, honeyed bouquet of stone fruits, crushed Meyer lemons, orange rind, and crushed rocks. Rich, powerful, and structured on the palate, I expect this singular, exotic white to age nicely.