Surprisingly, this is the producer's first blended Cabernet from the appellation, though it has long made vineyard-designates there. Combining fruit from the Bosche and Sycamore sites, it opens expansively in sizable tannin and dusty oak, before interweaving spicy black pepper, leather and soft infusions of blackberry and cherry.

Not dramatically different than its year- younger sibling from the Rutherford district reviewed below, Freemark Abbey's very deep, many-layered 2012 version is, whether by virtue of vintage or its extra year in the bottle, not quite as extreme in its tannins and thus the slightly preferred of the two. That said, it is not a wine for hasty drinking and should be buried away in the cellar for at least another six to eight years, but, as is the case with its mate, its keeping comes without risk and the pieces are in place for a long and satisfying future.

A rare offering from some of northern California's most expensive real estate, the 2000 Pinot Noir Marin Vineyard is a 315-case cuvee exhibiting tremendous earthy, plum, fig, and meaty-scented aromatics, and sweet, root beer-flavored fruit with a hint of cocoa emanating from the full-bodied palate. This stunning effort displays a grand cru Gevrey-Chambertin-like character. It should drink well for 5-8 years.

Displays a dense purple color along with huge flavor intensity, but its extremely high acidity is almost painful. I really do not know what to make of this wine. I suspect the high acid will allow it to age well past ten years, but whether it will ever completely open and be totally balanced is questionable.

This translucent and bright red colored Pinot Noir from Cambria opens with a cranberry and pomegranate bouquet with a hint of wild strawberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with bright medium avidity. The mouthfeel is juicy. The flavor profile is pomegranate and strawberry blend with notes of minerality. I also detected hints of red cherry and a touch of oak. The finish is dry, and its flavors and mild tannins stick around for a little while. I would pair this good value and friendly Pinot with a pork tenderloin.

Full medium ruby. Highly aromatic nose of cassis, violet, licorice, cocoa powder and black pepper. Supple and impressively sweet, but with terrific backbone under the intense black fruit flavors. A very broad, round wine that's not at all heavy. And not especially muscular for a mountain wine. Broadens out impressively on the back end. A very good showing for both of these Dakota vintages.

The opaque purple-colored 2011 Le Desir, a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 36% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec, tips the scales at 13.9% alcohol (the highest in this vintage). It reveals a chalky/mineral-like character along with notes of blueberries and boysenberries intermixed with hints of new oak and lead pencil shavings, a lush, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and outstanding ripeness and concentration (especially for a 2011). It should be drinking beautifully in 2-3 years, and will keep for 15-20. All three of these cuvees are very successful 2011s.

Dark, rich, intense and tannic, with roasted coffee, currant and toasty oak flavors. Hard and unyielding now, but has a solid core of fruit and oak.

Weaves together rich, complex cherry, currant, plum and spicy flavors, with pretty, toasty oak and elegant tannins. Beautifully crafted.

From American Jess Jackson’s vineyard in St.-Emilion (run by the incomparable Pierre Seillan), the 2010 Lassegue possesses an opaque purple color as well as a dense, muscular, masculine style displaying lots of black cherry and black currant fruit intermixed with hints of new oak and graphite. Full-bodied but backward, this cuvee (like most of Seillan’s wines) is built for the long haul. It requires 5-7 years of patience and should last for 20+ years.

Bright ruby-red. Very floral aromas of black raspberry, cherry and minerals. Round and seamless, with good inner-mouth definition and lift to the flavors of plum, dark cherry, cigar box and green olive. This solidly structured wine finishes with substantial broad, dusty tannins. Winemaker Ted Edwards noted that he may fine-tune the tannins prior to the bottling. All of these 2009s represent a step up in quality from this winery's 2008s.

The 2016 Syrah Baker Ranch is layered and supple in the glass. Floral and savory notes from the 100% whole clusters give the wine its distinctive aromatic signatures. In 2016, the Baker Ranch is wonderfully polished, nuanced and understated.

Violets, blackberry jam, cloves, graphite and crushed rocks are some of the many notes that inform the 2013 Red Wine Sonoma County. The flavors are dark, inky and bold in this super-expressive and highly promising wine from Hélène Seillan and Cenyth. A powerful, resonant finish rounds things out in style.

Full medium-ruby. Deep, superripe aromas of black fruits and dark chocolate. Denser and deeper than the 2000, with slightly medicinal, briary berries and minerals in the mouth. Already offers lovely inner-mouth perfume. Finishes with powerful, chewy tannins that avoid dryness and lovely persistence. Offers excellent potential.

Very good ruby-red. Inky cassis and blackberry aromas given lift by a highly aromatic floral nuance. Superb intensity of flavor and sweetness in the mouth: a real fruit bomb. This is remarkably expressive already and should provide pleasure sooner than the '95. Dense but somehow light on its feet, thanks to bright, framing acidity. Very long, sweet back end. Very impressive potential.

Red-ruby color. Perfumed aromas of dark berries, nutmeg, and nutty, spicy oak. Bright, juicy and tightly wrapped, with excellent flavor intensity and firm but harmonious acids.

A gorgeous, promising wine, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana captures all the personality that makes wines from this site so alluring. Intensely mineral and savory, the 2016 has more than enough nuance to play off the intense, inky fruit. Lavender, menthol, licorice, sage and blackberry jam meld into the dense, powerful finish.

Good full ruby. Aromas of blackberry, licorice and coffee torrefaction. Juicy, minerally and sweet, with very good depth of flavor and a sexy wildness. The coffee note carries through in the mouth, where it's joined by forest floor and floral notes. Finishes quite long, with substantial dusty tannins and lingering sweetness.

Good deep medium ruby. Crushed cassis, licorice, spices, minerals and a whiff of currant leaf on the complex nose. Juicy, firmly built and serious, with ripe flavors of dark berries and spices complemented by a whiff of fresh herbs. At once sweet and classically dry. This offers lovely aromatic lift on the back end, finishing with broad, toothdusting tannins and excellent subtle persistence. Interestingly, this has the highest pH of these four Anakota wines (3.84, compared to 3.63 to 3.68 for the other three), but there's no shortage of verve.

A strong showing for the 2010 barrel sample revealed lots of fruit in this primary, unevolved blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. With a low 14% alcohol and an elevated pH of 3.72, it reveals lots of blue and black fruit, cedarwood, toasty oak and white chocolate characteristics. This lighter-styled, medium to full-bodied effort's personality appears to be similar to the 2000 Le Desir's.

The outstanding 2011 La Joie (13.7% alcohol) is composed of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec. More structured and tannic than La Muse, it displays good ripeness, no herbaceousness or hollowness, and a relatively quick, but moderately long finish. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-20 years.

Saturated medium ruby. Brooding aromas of briary dark berries, bitter chocolate and nutty oak, all lifted by a floral element. Dense but juicy, with rich, slightly medicinal flavors of black cherry and menthol. Finishes very long, with big, chewy tannins. Offers strong potential.

The 2013 Chardonnay Broken Road exhibits a liquid rockiness intermixed with orange and pineapple notes. The numerous Chardonnay vineyards are planted at 800 to as high as 1,800 feet (in the case of the Gravel Bench, Upper Barn and Broken Road vineyards). All are 100% Chardonnays largely made from the Old Wente clone with a small percentage of the Hyde clone, and are fermented with indigenous yeasts. Almost all of them spend 10-11 months in various percentages of new French oak, ranging from a low of 44% (the Estate Chardonnay) to a high of 100% (the Gravel Bench Chardonnay. The differences between the various cuvées are very subtle as they are all relatively full-bodied, rich, and aromatic with natural textures. As the scores attest, they are far more alike than dissimilar. My favorites include the 2013 Chardonnay Gravel Bench, which reveals amazing texture and richness as well as a honeyed crème brûlée intensity and striking minerality. The same can be said for the 2013 Chardonnay Broken Road as well as the 2013 Chardonnay Upper Barn, a parcel made famous by Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer when they were producing Chardonnay from this site under their Marcassin label. All of these wines are great Chardonnays that combine the best of California ripeness with the minerality, structure and delineation of a French white Burgundy.

Full bright ruby. Aromas of black cherry, cassis and mint. Dense but backward, with sappy flavors of black cherry, cassis, minerals and mint. Finishes very long, with building, cheek-coating tannins. But in contrast to the Howell Mountain wine, this appears to have plenty of stuffing to support its tannic structure.

Full ruby. Vibrant aromas of black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate. Bright, sharply defined flavors of dark berries, licorice and menthol. Not especially fleshy today but offers brooding mountain fruit character and plenty of personality. Showed growing sweetness as it opened in the glass. Finishes with firm tannins and sneaky length.