...lurking deep below the surface is a vast underground landscape of blackberry fruit, cassis, plums, olives, herbs and oak. Fascinating and intricate and a little heady, but undrinkable now due to immaturity. Needs 5-6 years to show its stuff.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso Vineyard shows good inner perfume and softness. Plums, black cherries, tar, smoke, licorice, savory herbs and tobacco are woven together beautifully in this highly expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2007 needs another year or two for the tannins to soften, but it will always remain a firm, structured wine best paired with similarly hearty foods. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022.

It shows a massive core of blackberries, currants, dark baker's chocolate and smoky oak, and the balance of acidity makes it clean and bright. All indications are of a cellarworthy wine. Drink 2014 and beyond.

Inky ruby. Sexy aromas of cherry-cola, cassis, cocoa powder and vanilla Round, dense and palate-staining, with a firm backbone to the sweet, chewy flavors of dark berry preserves, bitter cherry, menthol and minerals. The deep, spicy dark fruit qualities carry through the very long, assertive finish, which features suave, integrated tannins and a hint of candied flowers. This unfined and unfiltered wine spent 30 months in barrels, most of them French.

It's very rich in blackberries, smoked meat and charred wood, with a finish that's fine, long and sweet in ripe fruits. Should blossom after 2014 and hold for a number of years.

This Cabernet doesn't show any signs of age, even though it's more than four years old. It's still fresh and powerful in tannins, with intensely concentrated blackberry and cassis fruit. With an impeccable structure, it should easily negotiate the next decade.

A beautiful Cabernet, made in an elegantly approachable way. Dry and smooth, it shows complex flavors of blackberries, currants and dried herbs, wrapped into rich, dusty tannins. The alcohol level is quite high, but balanced, in a California way.

2003 ARROWOOD CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE SPECIALE The brilliant 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale needs a lot of time, but it reveals plenty of potential. A 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon aged 18 months in French oak, there are only 1,580 cases of this beauty. Abundant creme de cassis notes intermixed with loamy soil, graphite, and flowers leap from the glass. There is a terrific fruit on the attack, full body, plenty of power and intensity, and a long, rich finish. It should be at its best in 4-5 years, and keep for 15-20.

Light, bright gold. Intense pit fruit and honey aromas are lifted by white flowers and ginger. Sweet, silky and intensely flavored, offering bright peach and pear nectar flavors and a silky, seamless texture. The sappy finish features clinging sweetness and impressive persistence.

For nearly 40 years, Arrowood has been California’s undisputed master of auslese, beerenauslese, and trockenbeerenauslese-styled sweet Rieslings. He has been on target with these wines since he first began making them at Chateau St. Jean 30 years ago. The auslese-styled 2007 Special Select Late Harvest Riesling Saralee’s Vineyard contains 21.7 grams of residual sugar as well as terrific acidity, and gorgeous aromas of lychee nuts, apricots, peaches, and apple butter. This sweet white should drink easily for another 5-6 years.

Made in a bigger, more structured style, the 2011 Chardonnay Reserve Speciale is 100% barrel-fermented, sees 100% malolactic fermentation, and is aged nine months in a combination of new and neutral French oak. It is then cellared for an additional six months in 100% one-year-old French oak. The wine exhibits lots of white peach, orange marmalade, honeysuckle and lychee aromas. This deep, full-bodied, richly fruity white reveals good delineation and intensity. A super-strong effort in 2011, it should age well for 4-5 years.

2004 ARROWOOD CHARDONNAY ALARY RANCH The Burgundian-styled 2004 Chardonnay Alary Vineyards (100% barrel fermented, put through malolactic fermentation, and aged for 10 months in French wood) exhibits aromas and flavors of pineapple, hazelnut, brioche, and orange skins. This complex white possesses great fruit and acidity as well as a full-bodied power with the oak kept well in the background.

2004 CHARDONNAY RESERVE SPECIALE Arrowood's top Chardonnay, the 2004 Reserve Speciale, is a 357-case offering that represents a selection from three separate vineyards, and receives the same treatment as the Alary vineyards cuvee. Copious quantities of orange blossom, pineapple, and other tropical fruits are accompanied by good definition, refreshing acidity, and a full-bodied, concentrated mouthfeel.

Get Ready: The Super Italians Are Coming Big and rich wine with lots of fruit and tannins. Plenty of wood, too. Full body. Needs two or three years to soften.

Aromas of blueberries with blanched almonds follow through to a medium body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Better in 2018 but already delicious. A blend of merlot cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot.

A round version, featuring rich cherry fruit mingling with an earthy element. Turns firm and dry on the finish, with gumcoating tannins, yet this remains persistent and long, revealing a tobacco accent. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2017 through 2026.

A soft and velvety red with chocolate, cedar, dark berry, currant and new wood aromas and flavors. Full body and a fruity finish. Bordeaux blend with plenty of panache. Drink or hold.

A red with dark berry and tar aromas and flavors. Full body, chewy tannins and a long finish. Needs time to soften. A blend of mostly merlot with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Better in 2017.

Beautiful balance sets the stage for the cherry, black currant and spice flavors. Rich, dense and lively in structure, capped by ripe, fine-grained tannins. The aftertaste evokes dark fruit and spice. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2020.

Beautiful balance sets the stage for the cherry, black currant and spice flavors. Rich, dense and lively in structure, capped by ripe, fine-grained tannins. The aftertaste evokes dark fruit and spice. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2020. 799 cases made.

A rich and velvety red that's open and delicious now showing ripe and savory fruit. Full to medium body. Plenty of dark chocolate, blackberry and cherry character. Some currants too. A blend of 60% cabernet franc, 25% merlot and 15% cabernet sauvignon. Drink and enjoy.

Bright and lively, with mineral, violet, black currant and cedar aromas and flavors. Still firmly structured, this will require more time to find equilibrium. Long finish. Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2016 through 2025. 1,380 cases made.

Anakota's 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana has turned out beautifully. Dark, sumptuous and beautifully resonant in the glass, the 2014 exudes richness. Red cherry jam, raspberry, mint and licorice abound. Flamboyant and opulent, with soft contours and good structure, the 2014 hits all the right notes.

The 2013 vintage of this robust Californian Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana features mocha, black fruit and smoke on the nose and palate. Pair with steak.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard has turned out beautifully. Mocha, dark cherries, plums, spices, new leather and tobacco meld together in a large-scaled, voluptuous wine built on intensity, texture and volume. This is one of the more overt Knights Valley Cabernets readers will come across. The vintage has softened some of the contours, which simply adds to the wine's considerable up-front appeal. A sweet, layered finish rounds things out in style. My sense is that the 2012 will be even better once some of the baby fat drops off, but the wine is undeniably delicious today.