Powerfully aromatic black fruits, dried herbs, dark-roast coffee beans, toasty oak and dried flowers. Full-throttle, structured and dense, with firm, elongated tannins and compact black-toned fruits, scorched earth, iron shavings and crushed cocoa nibs. A long finish of brandied spiced cherries. Since 1995, Lokoya has produced Cabernet from the Veeder Peak Estate at 548m on the western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains.

Incredibly rich and opulent. Sumptuous aromas of ripe cassis, boysenberry, blackberry and mountain herbs. The incredibly vivid dark berry fruit – deep and penetrating – is accompanied by a tapestry of granular mountain tannins that are long and laced with a saline minerality. The finish reveals a plethora of pie spices, blueberry compote, chocolate and very fine oak. A powerhouse Cabernet that is pleasure-packed.

Showcasing the lovely freshness of high-elevation Mt Veeder grapes. Vivid boysenberry and mulberry fruits give way to mountain herbs, dusty minerals and rich toasty cedar. A compact wine revealing black-fruited flavours and savoury herbal nuances alongside sculpted tannins that are pixelated and mouthcoating. An impressively long finish of iron shavings, baked agave and dried chaparral.

Heady aromas of beautiful brown spices, raspberry, boysenberry, leather and tobacco with the nuances of smoky clove, crushed wild herbs and cinnamon. More of the same unfolds on the palate, framed by burly tannins with grit, and finishing with intense pops of red and violet florals. A tremendously poised red with plenty of vivacity and complexity in youth that will only deepen with time in the bottle.

Sumptuous, lively and generous in dried herbs, allspice and forest floor, this is a memorably intense and complex coastal wine, thick in tannin and enduring structure. Red berry and citrus give it a lightness that boosts the lovely, lasting acidity.

Dark and brooding with layers of spicy dark cherry, this wine is earthy, lengthy and deep in raspberry flavor. Tart, bright acidity lifts the concentrated core of intensity and structure, giving the wine a chance to breathe and coalesce on the palate.

Kristy Melton has coaxed out hallmark freshness in her single-vineyard Cabernets. Heady oak spices rise from the glass mingling with chocolate-tinged red berry fruit and dried herbs. Plush red berries on the palate are framed by firm, dusty tannins with notes of cedar, tobacco and vanilla emerging on the finish.

From Freemark Abbey's Bosché vineyard, which sits on a gravelly bench. Enticing aromas of mulberry, thyme, earth smokey minerals and cedar. Full and rich with tart cherry and ripe blackberry fruit, iron shavings and a structured dusty tannic backbone. A long finish is marked by crushed cocoa nibs and dried flowers. Very fresh with plenty of acidity for long ageing.

Deep, brilliant red. A hugely perfumed, complex bouquet evokes ripe red berries, cherry pit, Asian spices, incense and musky earth. Sweet, seamless and expansive on the palate, offering intense, mineral-tinged raspberry preserve, candied lavender, star anise, succulent herb and blood orange flavors that deepen with air while maintain ingurgency. Shows outstanding energy and delineation on the strikingly long, floral- and mineral-driven finish, which is framed by silky, harmonious tannins. This crazy wine was left on its skins for 191 days after fermentation. My guess is that it will be showing its best in the near term, while its intense fruit is to the fore.

Brilliant ruby. Heady, mineral- and exotic-spice-accented red and blue fruit, candied lavender and incense aromas show outstanding definition and lift. Sweet, seamless and penetrating on the palate, offering concentrated black raspberry, boysenberry, cola and spicecake flavors that become livelier as the wine stretches out. Delivers a compelling blend of richness and energy, with no rough edges. The strikingly long, floral-driven finish is framed by velvety tannins.

Brilliant violet. Vibrant dark berry, cherry liqueur, violet oil and exotic spice aromas show excellent clarity and mineral lift. Alluringly sweet and incisive on the palate, offering palate-staining black raspberry, boysenberry, vanilla and spicecake flavors and a late touch of cola. Supple tannins give shape to the penetrating, mineral-tinged finish, which hangs on with superb focus and tenacity.

Pale yellow. Bright and energetic in style, displaying Anjou pear, tangerine, floral and mineral qualities on the nose, along with a hint of smokiness that gains strength as the wine opens up. Shows superb depth as well as urgency on the palate, offering bitter citrus pith, pear nectar and honeysuckle flavors and an exotic suggestion of saffron. Finishes extremely long and nervy, showing sharp delineation and lingering floral and mineral qualities. This vibrant Chardonnay, which comes from a relatively warm site (by Giant Steps' standards), carries alow pH of 3.21, putting it smack in Chablis territory.

Shimmering magenta. Ripe red and blue fruit, rose oil and exotic spice scents take on smoky mineral, vanilla and mocha nuances with air. Sappy and expansive on the palate, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry, cherry cola and five-spice flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. The spice and floral notes repeat on an extremely long, focused finish framed by subtly chewy tannins.

Another wine of open fruit – lovely low acid red raspberry fruit, a glycerol ripeness, very fine sandpaper tannins. There’s the finest note of rosemary and garrigue too, like a seasoning of complexity. None of the dehydration of the vintage, but it’s more moody than bright and bouncy. Love the forest floor inflections. Love the low acid softness. I just want to drink this silken, perfectly ‘natural’ feeling, perfectly detailed red. High high quality. Best drinking: now and for years yet.

Smoky, peppery and sleek, this medium-bodied wine offers great complexity on an elegant frame. Vivid aromas of black pepper and wood smoke lead to generous but focused blackberry and sour cherry flavors braced by moderate tannins. Best 2025–2030.

Juicy cherry, berry and citrus give life to this bold, lush and brilliant wine, sticky in grippy tannin with a muscular, sturdy structure. Dense and brooding in style, it finishes in bolts of cardamom, vanilla bean and forest.

Velvety smooth and earthy in compost and crushed rock and herb, this hearty red wine is rich in red cherry and strawberry, with a persistence of baking spice. Secondary notes of cedar, cigar and oak provide a savory complement and edge.

Varietally intriguing and compelling in tobacco, clove and blackberry, this full-bodied wine is tremendously appealing, with dark, brooding layers of spice and garrigue. Rich and lengthy, it shows plenty of complexity around a supple core of inviting succulence and well-integrated tannin and oak.

Thick, tannic and herbal, this is an earthy and ethereal wine from the coast, aromatic in rose petal and forest floor. A notable backbone of acidity keeps it fresh and energetic in the glass amid a savory landscape of salty, silky structure.

Inky purple. Ripe black and blue fruit, floral and spice qualities on the deeply perfumed nose; incense and smoky mineral nuances emerge as the wine opens up. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated cassis, cherry preserve, blueberry and violet pastille flavors given spicy bite by a jolt of cracked pepper. Youthfully firm tannins add grip to a very long, chewy finish that leaves spice and dark fruit liqueur notes behind.

Dark, vivid magenta. Vibrant, spice-tinged red and blue fruit and floral scents show fine detail and mineral lift. Juicy and energetic in style, offering appealingly sweet Chambord and boysenberry flavors that deepen steadily with aeration. Smooth, slowly emerging tannins add shape to a very long, spicy finish that strongly echoes the berry notes.

Saturated violet. A complex bouquet evokes spice-accented red and blue fruits, pungent flowers, vanilla and exotic spices, and a smoky mineral flourish emerges with aeration. Juicy and well-concentrated but lithe as well, offering appealingly sweet black raspberry, cherry and mulberry flavors underscored by a vein of zesty acidity. Shows fine definition and spicy lift on the youthfully tannic finish, which strongly echoes the blue fruit and floral notes.

Deep ruby. Lush cherry-cola, blackberry and mocha qualities on the deeply perfumed nose, which is complemented by suggestions of candied rose and vanilla. In a round, generous style, offering sweet dark berry and fruitcake flavors that are supported by an undercurrent of juicy acidity. Pliant tannins frame an impressively long, sappy finish that strongly repeats the cherry and floral notes. 50% new French oak.

Deep ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes cassis, cherry and blueberry, and smoke and vanilla nuances build in the glass. Sappy and precise on the palate, offering appealingly sweet dark fruit and floral pastille flavors that show liqueur-like depth and surprising energy. Closes on a gently tannic note, with excellent clarity, repeating spiciness and strong, spicy cling. Raised in new and used French oak barrels for 15 months.

Inky magenta. A deeply perfumed, oak-tinged bouquet evokes black and blue fruit preserves, cured tobacco, incense and mocha. Alluringly sweet and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated blackberry, cherry-vanilla and bitter chocolate flavors braced by a core of smoky minerality. Finishes impressively long, with strong, spicy thrust, a resonating vanilla note and round, slowly building tannins.