Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. The nose is more earthy than fruity, with aromas of mulch, mushroom and a hint of blackberry jam. Very soft and silky in the mouth with impressive harmony, this mid weight wine offers layers of sweet dark blackberry, black raspberry and spiced plum flavors accented by complimentary mocha-laced oak. The tannins are satiny and folded in nicely. The fruit intensity builds in the mouth, culminating in an orgasmic finish that never seems to want to go away.

The '99 is a 79/21 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot all from Reverie Vineyard on Diamond Mountain. Expect intense ripe blackberry jam aromas mingled with pepper, licorice, clove, dried poblano, vanilla and floral aromas. Very aromatic. It's rich, ripe and concentrated on the palate with fine tannins. More blackberry jam, cooked cassis and tobacco flavours with an earthy, spicy, clove finish. Balanced with potential to age for the next 7-12 years. Very fine effort.

Firm, tightly wound and austere, with a compact band of earth, mineral, currant, sage, tea and cherry, Turns tannic and concentrated on the finish, where the flavors sail on.

Another great first release from Lokoya. The '95 Diamond Mountain is saturated black in color with purple highlights and rich aromas of cassis, crystallized ginger, blackberry, cedar, spice and beef. Layers of black fruit, black pepper, soil and oak hit the mid-palate so intensely that you barley notice the tannins until the last bit of finish. It has powerful mountain fruit, yet the tannins and extract are tame enough to approach with some care.

…possesses the most developed aromatics, consisting of black currants, cherries, loamy soil scents, and pain grille. It is the most expansive and fullest-bodied, with stunningly concentrated flavors that exhibit no angularity of sharpness. The acidity, tannin, alcohol, and wood are all gorgeously integrated into this fleshy, succulent, voluptuously-textured wine. The finish lasts for 40+ seconds.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines Subtle and intense aromas of blackberries and hints of fresh herbs. Evergreen. Full-bodied and powerful with chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. A big, mountain-grown style to this.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines Big and chewy red with blueberries and blackberries and fresh-herb undertones. Full-bodied and chewy. Boisterous and solid. Needs five to six years to soften.

Chockablock with dark fig, boysenberry and blueberry fruit paste flavors inlaid with singed vanilla and apple wood notes, backed by a tarry edge on the finish. A hefty red that needs some cellaring to round into form, but there's fruit to burn here.

Top California Cabernet 2015 wines: Full vintage report At a time when many winemakers proclaim their Cabernets to be ready to drink on release and also ageworthy, Lokoya's Chris Carpenter is honest: his wines are made for collectors who will cellar them for a decade or more. This wine, from the Veeder Peak vineyard, is tannic and astringent now yet there's gorgeous blackberry and blackcurrant fruit at its core, with fresh acidity that will hold until the tannins resolve. 100% new French oak.

This is well-packed, with a range of açaí berry, blueberry and black currant fruit looking to spread its wings, but held in check for now by a wall of graphite-edged grip. Mouthwatering apple wood notes show on the finish. Delivers plenty of energy, so you can wait it out in the cellar.

Top California Cabernet 2015 wines: Full vintage report Credit high-elevation grape growing for this tightly wound, almost brooding wine under which lurks succulent, vibrant wild berry fruit and lively acidity to match. Impeccably balanced for its size, it still begs for cellaring for at least five years, as well as decanting. Still, it's the most approachable of the four Lokoya Cabs from the mountains.

This is a big, brawny red, loaded with black and red currant, fig and bitter plum compote flavors that are still wrestling with one another a bit, backed by waves of briar, licorice snap and roasted apple wood. There's serious grip on the finish, but the fruit winds up, rippling longest.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Diamond Mountain) is plush, dark and inviting. It is also quite soft for a young mountain Cabernet. Lavender, licorice and white flowers add nuance to a core of inky blue/purplish fruit. Medium in body and nicely lifted, the 2015 has a lot to offer. Best of all, it should drink well with only minimal cellaring. Graphite, crème de cassis and licorice appear on the nuanced finish. Lokoya's Diamond Mountain Cabernet emerges from the Wallis vineyard, which Jackson Family Estate purchased a few years back.

Concentrated and intense, this is a tight-wound Cabernet with incredible structure and presence. It combines sweet red and black fruits with some intriguing dry tannins and cedary oak. There’s a really grippy, primary character to this wine. Dense and primary with lots of promise for the future. So tannic but with lots of fresh, sweet fruit, too. This could be brilliant in a decade.

The 2013 Mount Veeder is a powerful wine, rich in your mouth, fleshy with soft tannins and ripe, dark fruit. Its aromas suggest floral notes and spicy, dark chocolate, with a richness of blueberry fruit. The wine’s flavors are concentrated; blueberry and dark plum mingle with earthy mineral notes for interwoven complexity, and the flavors carry to a really impressive finish that echoes the ripeness of the fruit. Despite its power, this wine is accessible. Its acidity is a light within the darkness of the fruit and it gives the wine a touch of elegance.

The 2013 Spring Mountain to me is all about the interplay of depth and power. Its perfume is captivating, suggesting cedar -- instant gratification for classicists -- with ripe, red fruit and high notes of pine and licorice, as well as unmistakeable floral tones. The wine’s structure is sleek and linear, smooth tannin forming the periphery while silky dark fruit fills in the middle and mineral notes enliven the whole. This is not an explosive wine but one whose power is framed and contained. Mount Veeder is the richer of the two and Spring Mountain is the sleeker.

Concentrated and primary, with intense, structured black cherry, blackcurrant and raspberry fruit. There’s some freshness to the fruit, although it is still very sweet. This is primary and at the moment the structured, slightly drying tannins, the oak, and the ripe (but balanced) fruit are finding it hard to achieve any harmony, but there’s promise for the future.

Lokoya's 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder presents a more linear and less voluptuous expression of mountain Cabernet Sauvignon than the Howell Mountain bottling tasted alongside it. Energy, tension and pulsating vibrancy are the signatures. Dark blue and purplish fruit, menthol, cedar and licorice meld together in an ample, broad Cabernet Sauvignon supported by huge beams of tannin. Beautifully balanced and harmonious throughout, the 2012 should drink beautifully for many years to come.

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain comes across as quite ethereal and delicate, especially for a mountain wine. Sweet floral notes meld into spices, dark blue/black fruit, cinnamon and new leather. Here the flavors are gentle and suave, but at the same time, there is plenty of energy in the glass. With time in the decanter, the 2011 can be enjoyed today, but it also has enough stuffing to drink well for a number of years. At the same time, the higher-toned aromatics, suggest the 2011 will always remain a relatively feminine Cabernet Sauvignon.

Lokoya's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain is all red fruits, flowers, iron and new leather. Firm tannins provide the backbone for a powerful, structured Cabernet Sauvignon that is notable for its intensity and expression of Spring Mountain. Sweet floral notes reappear on the finish, adding lift and polish. This isn't huge, but it, nevertheless, stands out for its finesse and intensity.

Latour-like in structure and range of flavors, this is pure, rich and juicy, offering ripe plum, wild berry, spice, tea and cedar notes. Ends with tannins that reveal a loamy earth flavor and texture.

Latour-like in structure and range of flavors, this is pure, rich and juicy, offering ripe plum, wild berry, spice, tea and cedar notes, ending with tannins that reveal a loamy earth flavor and texture.

Good deep ruby. Rich aromas of currant and graphite minerality. Lush, round and large-scaled, with strong rocky and mineral qualities adding interest to its very sexy flavors of black raspberry and spices. Dry, classic, powerful cabernet whose broad tannins are amazingly supple for Mount Veeder. Finishes subtle and extremely long. An excellent vintage for this bottling, which is from vines planted at 1,700 feet.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain (from Spring Mountain Vineyard) is a big, super-ripe wine laced with racy red cherries, rose petals, dried flowers and licorice. It possesses striking inner perfume and fabulous length. The tannins in particular are especially refined for this appellation.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain (from the Von Strasser Vineyard) is a gorgeous wine. It bursts onto the palate with an exciting melange of dark red fruit, mint and licorice. It is an intensely spicy, focused wine with plenty of Diamond Mountain tannins that come through. Tar, smoke and licorice are some of the notes that inform the energetic, vibrant finish.