Opens with a pure, clean, high-toned aroma, powerful yet delicate, of cherries, cola, coffee, cinnamon and smoky oak. In the mouth, the wine has fantastic density and concentration, rich in fruits and spices, but with a brilliant Pinotesque silkiness. Simply a marvelous wine.

An extraordinarily rich, complex and satisfying Syrah. It's massive in blackberry, pepper, cola, spice and smoky oak flavors. Yet for all the size, it never loses its sense of balance and elegance. This low production wine comes from the Los Alamos region of Santa Barbara, a likely future appellation in its own right.

California Merlot doesn't get much better than this. Shows the tannic weight and density of its mountain origins, a huge, gigantic Merlot that will take some cellaring. But it's fully drinkable now for the ultra-rich black currant, licorice, grilled meat, mocha and cedar flavors.

Merlot is the money grape in this delicious blend of Rhone Valley and Bordeaux inspired wines. And it's lovely, rich, ripe plum that delivers the inviting nose, followed by a layered palate of black and red fruits and supple tannins. The finish is long and inviting. This is a serious crowd-pleaser at a modest price. Besides Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Carignan and Syrah complete the blend.

A beautiful wine, supple and delicious. Classically dry and tannic, it shows fascinating, elusive blackberry, blueberry, currant and herb flavors, elaborated with sweet, smoky oak. Lots going on here, and it should develop nicely in the bottle over the next decade.

A brilliant effort from winemaker Randy Ullom is the 2003 Stature, a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot from three vineyard sources, primarily the Stagecoach Vineyard followed by the Veeder Peak site. Its dark plum/purple color is followed by a sweet kiss of white chocolate, black currants, vanillin and spice box. Full-bodied, pure, generous and opulent, this fully mature 2003 should drink well for another decade or more.

Peppery, blackberry jam aromas with dark earth, leather, vanilla, coffee, and mulberry scents. Ripe and big with round balanced tannins. Again, big peppery, blackberry jam, spicy, clove, vanilla leather and earth flavours and a long creamy vanilla/coffee finish. Big and young and will need at least 3-5 years to approach maturity. Excellent wine.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Stature is gorgeous. Racy and sumptuous, the 2016 is impressive in the early going, but also has the potential to develop nicely in the coming years. Silky tannins wrap around a core of dark fruit in a flamboyant yet impeccably balanced Cabernet Sauvignon. Mocha, black cherry, leather, smoke and licorice grace this impeccable, layered Cabernet.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases Made of 100% Cabernet aged 19 months in 61% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Stature Cabernet Sauvignon is a little closed to begin, opening slowly to reveal fresh black currants, warm plums and wild blueberries scents with touches of garrigue, wood smoke, menthol and oolong tea plus touches of tar and tilled earth. Firm, full-bodied and built like a brick house, it has loads of black and red fruit layers with a ripe, grainy texture and a very long, mineral-laced finish. Should age gracefully!

This is a tremendously impressive wine from the producer's high-elevation estate situated at 2,400 feet. Rich tones of vanilla bean, cassis and raspberry liqueur open the door to a soft, integrated midpalate that is complex and lengthy.

The 2017s From Sonoma One of the gems in the lineup is unquestionably the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Hawkeye Mountain, which comes from a vineyard at 2,400 feet in elevation and spent 20 months in 47% new French oak. It offers awesome notes of cassis, liquid violets, vanilla bean, and classy oak as well as full-bodied richness, a seamless texture, beautiful tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s approachable today but will keep for 10-15 years.

A barrel selection from two sites in Sonoma, aged in 60-75% new French oak, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Stature is a brilliant 100% Cabernet Sauvignon release. Crème de cassis, lead pencil, crushed violets, and graphite notes all emerge from this full-bodied, deep, seamless effort that has awesome depth of fruit as well as an undeniable elegance.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Trace Ridge is one of the very best wines I have tasted from Kendall-Jackson of late. Powerful and structured, with a super-classic expression of fruit, acid and tannin, the 2015 is flat-out beautiful. Blueberry, gravel, menthol, game and licorice all run through this deeply expressive Cabernet. The 2015 has tons of Knights Valley character, and yet winemaker Kristy Melton has managed to reign in the tannins. What a gorgeous wine this is.

As for the Mt. Veeder cuvée, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Napa Mountain is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in nearly 50% new French oak as well as a handful of American barrels for 21 months prior to bottling. This is a 25- to 30-year wine from KJ. Inky blue/purple, with notes of blueberries, blackberries, white flowers and cedar wood, the wine hits the palate with some espresso and chocolate. The wine is concentrated, rich, full-bodied and multidimensional. It is a stunner, but very limited in production (521 cases). It should evolve for 20 or more years.

Weekend Wine Picks A half year down the road there are no substantial changes here. The Hawkeye Mountain is K-J’s signature Alexander Mountain property, planted from 900 to 2200 feet above sea level. Shallow, rocky and gravelly loam on steep, westward facing hillsides with some terracing is the home to the limited release Hawkeye Ridge Cabernet — an island in the sky above the fog line. The mountain textures are accentuated by spicy, licorice, tobacco, black cherry fruit. The finish is long, savoury and persistent. This will easily repay a decade in the bottle. Private wine shops only.

The dense purple 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Trace Ridge (400 cases of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Knights Valley and their Kellogg Estate Vineyard) offers up hints of spring flowers, blueberry liqueur, crème de cassis, camphor and wet rocks. It’s mineral-laced on the palate. Displaying a full-bodied mouthfeel, sweet tannin and a long, long finish, this classic, ostentatious Cabernet can be drunk over the next 12-15 years.

A gorgeous Cab that shows the density and concentration, but also the elegant structure, of a fine mountain vineyard. Dry and richly tannic, this 100% Cabernet has pinpoint flavors of currants, plums and cedar. Brilliant now, and should evolve through at least 2012.

From a slope of Mount St. Helena overlooking this small valley appellation comes this very dense, young 100% Cab. It's an impressive wine, not only for the sheet concentration of blackberry, currant and plum fruit flavors, but for the plush mouthfeel, which has a gorgeously soft quality. K-J's winemakers really rock in the science of tannin management.

Tremendous Cab, grown on the high slopes of this appellation where great Bordeaux reds come from. It hits the palate with hugely concentrated Cab flavors, flooding the mouth with black currants, plums, coffee, spices and gorgeously toasty French oak. Feels lavish, powerful, complex and ageworthy.

From mountain vineyards comes this deep, dark, impressively intense Cab. Opens with a blast of new oaky smoke, char and vanilla, but once in the mouth, huge waves of flamboyant blackberry and cassis, black cherry and vanilla oak flavors unfold, with a meaty note. The wine is totally dry and balanced, and while it's drinkable now, it should improve through 2015

Peppery, earthy, saddle leather nose with cardamom, blackberry and cassis with smoky, coffee, vanilla streaks. Rich, supple and concentrated palate with spicy, peppery, coffee, cassis jam flavours and lively sweet blackberry fruit flecked with cedar and tobacco. Fine-grained tight tannins on the long finish.

My favorite is the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Highlands Estate Trace Ridge, a Knight's Valley vineyard planted at a relatively lofty elevation of 500-1,000 feet. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in French oak, it is meant for long-term cellaring. The bouquet offers scents of tobacco leaf, sweet black cherries, black currants, a dusty, smoky earthiness, and hints of crushed rocks and flowers. The wine reveals impressive fruit intensity, and an enticing, full-throttle texture. While accessible, its best days are probably 5-7 years ahead of it, and it should keep for 15-20 years.

Rich, ripe and complex, offering a pretty array of plum, cherry, currant and berry all dressed up with toasty oak flavors.

Open spicy, floral, clove, apple and pear nose with ripe melon, vanilla, lees and butter well integrated. Very rich and viscous with a touch of oiliness. Big melon, mango, clove, lees, spice flavours and a long baked-apple, butterscotch finish. Very refined and long, top quality here.

This impressive new bottling for the Jackson Family starts with fresh aromas of preserved limes on toast, rounded nectarine, chalk and lemon syrup. There is a strong tension to the palate, where racy flavors of kumquat and lemon sorbet lead into a grippy, tense finish.