A big, sweeping wine, the Stonestreet 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall is also the most vivid and complete of these Cabernets. Mocha, black cherry jam, spice, licorice and leather are some of the signatures. The Rockfall is unusually polished for such a big, mountain wine. With time in the glass, the Rockfall gains volume and intensity. Today, the 2013 is naturally quite young, but it is shaping up to be a gem.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cougar Ridge seems similar to the Monolith, with an opaque purple color, a big, sweet kiss of cassis and blackberry, licorice, camphor and, again, wet rocks conveying its minerality. It is interesting that this is the wine that has the lowest percentage of new French oak its aged in, coming in at 31%.

Graphite, smoke, tobacco, new leather, licorice and gravel are some of the signatures in Stonestreet's 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall. The most savory and mineral of these Cabernets, the Rockfall is also arguably the wine that captures the greatest amount of site specificity. The firm tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit, but they are there. In this vintage though, the contours are a bit softened, which does have the benefit of making the wine more accessible early, but at some expense of vineyard nuance.

Perhaps the most backward and hulking wine of the group – mirroring the personality of Jess Jackson’s son, Christopher, who is now in law school – is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher’s Vineyard from the highest elevation, 2,400 feet. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 21 months in 63% new French oak shows terrific concentration, a big, skyscraper-like mouthfeel, and loads of blackberry, cassis, white chocolate and wet rocks. This is a long-term proposition and a wine that probably has 25-40 years of aging potential built in. Forget it for 4-5 years.

Equally powerful is the broodingly backward, foreboding, opaque purple-colored 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher’s, which comes from the highest elevation vineyard at 2,400 feet. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon spent 19 months in 70% new French oak. Another behemoth with a blue/black color, it possesses lots of creme de cassis, graphite, spring flower and new oak characteristics. This rich, full-bodied, muscular, powerful wine is oh, so backward, even in the forward, precocious 2011 vintage. Forget it for 5 years and drink it over the following 20 years.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's is a huge, wonderfully complete wine. It boasts considerable inner sweetness and perfume, but has more than enough fruit to match its tannic heft. Black cherries, blackberries, mint, menthol, mocha and spices are all woven together in this exceptional, refined Cabernet. Layers of fruit build to the huge, opulent finish. The minerality and acidity of this great hillside site comes through in spades. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.

Slightly more opulent with a sumptuous perfume of espresso roast, chocolate, and creme de cassis as well as superb fruit density, richness, and length, this killer Cabernet can be drunk now or cellared for 20-25 years. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

Another blockbuster and a rather massive, backward, full-bodied wine is the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher’s Vineyard, no doubt named after the exuberant and burly son of Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke. This wine comes from the family’s beloved Alexander Valley Mountain Estate, from a 2,400-foot elevation vineyard, and is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest other Bordeaux varietals. Infantile, opaque purple, with beautifully pure blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, floral notes, a striking liquid-rock minerality, good acidity and ripe tannin, this wine has future greatness written all over it, but it is too young to drink. It is certainly one of the youngest and most backward of the 2005s, but the promise is exceptional. Forget it for another 3-4 years and drink it over the following 2-3 decades.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Red Point is powerful, inward and quite structured, with bright citrus and floral notes adding character. It is also the most reticent of these Chardonnays. While the other 2017s will drink well pretty much right out of the gate, the Red Point is going to need at least a year or two to be at its most expressive.

The only block that doesn't get afternoon sun and from gravely soils, the 2016 Chardonnay Gravel Bench (aged all in new barrels) boasts a medium gold color as well as classic spiced orchard fruits, buttered citrus, charcoal, and hints of white flowers. It's concentrated, has beautiful purity, integrated acidity, and a good finish. It has absorbed its oak beautifully.

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.