The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is the most overt and structured of these wines from Mt. Brave. Dark red and black stone fruits, spices, menthol, leather and cedar meld together in the glass. Powerful and ample in the glass, the 2012 possesses remarkable intensity. Big, chewy tannins support the ample finish. Today the tannins are a bit more dominant than the fruit, but the 2012 should find a bit better balance with more time in bottle. Dollops of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec round out the blend. This is the first vintage in which Malbec has been included.

Full, deep ruby. Slightly musky aromas of cassis, blackberry, black cherry, tobacco and spices. Intensely flavored and pure but very tightly wound; black fruit flavors show a medicinal austerity. A powerful, penetrating wine whose tannins are firm but not hard. This and the Howell Mountain cabernet have delivered on their early promise.

Notions of earth, mushrooms, underbrush, black cherries, and charcoal intermixed with good minerality characterize the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. The most backward and austere of this quartet, this Keyes Vineyard (formerly the Liparita Vineyard) cuvee is full-bodied, but broodingly tannic. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades.

Good medium ruby. High-pitched aromas and flavors of black cherry, licorice and chocolate mint. Generous and tactile, with noteworthy energy and minerality and a restrained sweetness in the middle palate. This is uncommonly suave for a wine from mountain fruit. Finishes broad and long, with substantial fine, well-integrated tannins and excellent life and lift.

8 Merlot Wines Reviewed, from $7 to $85 Aromas of black cherry, trail dust, dry tobacco and hazelnut waft from this inky purple, mountain Merlot. A generous quantity of velvety tannins frame rich flavors of tart black cherry, blackberry, dry herb and spicy oak from beginning to finish on the palate (medium-plus body). Notable acidity lends balance. This dark, ripe incarnation of Merlot is a very well-made wine which grabs, and then holds, one’s attention as soon as it hits the tongue. It also held up very well over several days of re-tasting. It will age nicely for at least a decade, but is ready to drink now. 90% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot from the La Jota and W.S. Keyes vineyards, fermented with native yeast and aged 22 months in French oak barrels, 78% new.

The finest wine yet made under Jess Jackson's leadership is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Release. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes from the finest parcels of the La Jota vineyard, spends 22 months in new French oak. It is a seriously-endowed wine meant for collectors/connoisseurs who have the patience to wait it out. An inky/blue/purple hue is accompanied by aromas of boysenberries, blueberries, black raspberries, and blackberries. The wine exhibits lots of minerality, a certain floral character, full-bodied power, a boatload of tannin, sweet, dense, rich fruit, and good structure, ripeness, and length. Give it 4-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20-25 years.

A wine of power and structure, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Stature doesn't have the showiness of some of the other wines in this vintage. Readers will have to be especially patient, as the tannins are imposing. Then again this is a mountain Cabernet with serious depth of fruit and plenty of character.

The blockbuster 2004 Highland Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Mountain Estate comes from Jess Jackson's vineyard on Mt. Veeder. Another 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 21 months in mostly new French oak, it boasts an inky/purple color in addition to sweet aromas of blue fruits, creme de cassis, licorice, and graphite. Full-bodied, pure, structured, and built for the long haul, there are only 422 cases of this gorgeous Cabernet. A wine for connoisseurs, it requires 4-5 years of cellaring, and should last for 20-25 years.

Deep garnet-purple, the 2015 The Revivalist Merlot has black plums and blackberry compote on the nose with suggestions of chocolate box, menthol and spice cake. Medium to full-bodied, the palate exudes black berry preserves and baking spice goodness, with gorgeous velvety tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long with an herbal and earthy lift.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon is redolent of crushed blackcurrants, black plums and dried Mediterranean herbs with hints of cedar, toast, fertile earth and mocha. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with expressive cassis and toasty flavors, lifted with a pleasant herbal note and framed by ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and lively.

The 2014 The Revivalist Merlot shows a deep garnet-purple color, and has a lovely floral and spice-laced nose with hints of baking spices, vanilla and plum preserves. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, this Merlot has nice velvety tannins, a lively backbone and great length.

The 2017s From Sonoma The more ruby-colored 2016 Pinot Noir Seven's Bench offers an earthier, more savory style as well as complex notes of ripe currants, autumn forest floor, cured meats, and smoked herbs. It’s rich, medium to full-bodied, and will be better with short-term cellaring. This cuvée from a site in Carneros is a mix of Mount Eden and Dijon 777 clones and spent 17 months in 30% new French oak. 298 cases.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Jennifer’s Marshall Vineyard comes from a vineyard south of Sebastopol that sits right in the windy Petaluma Gap. Foresty, woodsy aromas intermingled with raspberry, blueberry and black cherry fruit jump from the glass of this wine, which is medium to full-bodied and shows terrific purity, texture and length. It is still tightly knit, as one might expect. Another 6-12 months of bottle age is probably suggested, and the wine should evolve easily for a decade or more.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Jennifer's presents an intriguing combination of density in its fruit, but with plenty of underlying minerality from the site's proximity to the Petaluma Wind Gap. Wilder hints of earthiness, game, black olives, tar and licorice develop in the glass, adding considerable complexity. This is almost Syrah-like in its aromatic and flavor profile. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017.

The cool-climate 2001 Chardonnay Seascape, from a vineyard not harvested until November, exhibits high acidity along with a liquid flint-like bouquet offering notes of honeyed grapefruit, nectarines, and a striking minerality, This lustrous, singular style of Chardonnay has more in common with a grand crus Chablis than most California Chardonnays. It should provide immense pleasure over the next 4-6 years.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Dropstone has a lovely nose of blueberries, black cherries, cassis, exotic spice, autumn leaves and crushed rock. Medium-bodied, it features lovely ripe, dark fruits in the mouth with layers of spice and earth plus a wonderful mineral line. It's got fine, pixelated tannins and juicy acidity, finishing long and spicy.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two The 2016 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton has a lovely open nose of spiced apples, acacia honey, lemon cream, toast and dried white flowers. Medium-bodied with a great creamy texture, it fills the mouth with layers of honey toast, cream, ripe orchard fruits and spice, with great mouthwatering acidity and a long floral finish.

The 2014 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton has a compelling savory character on the nose, offering a mélange of baking bread, yeast extract, salted almonds and brioche with a core of warm pineapples and pink grapefruit, plus a hint of honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate delivers generous stone and tropical fruit 􀃓avors with a creamy texture and plenty of freshness paving the long finish.

The 2010 Proprietary Red Josephine is composed of 38.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.9% Merlot, 17.9% Cabernet Franc and 6.7% Malbec (talk about being precise). This wine comes from a vineyard situated near Colgin's Tychson Hill site. Stunning aromatics of bouquet garni, black cherries, black currants, graphite and licorice emerge from this dense purple-colored 2010. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, pure and long, it can be drunk now and over the next 15-20 years.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Freemark Abbey’s generic bottling from Napa, is a brilliant example, and at $50, a heck of a value. It is also one of their larger cuvées at 24,332 cases. A blend of 75.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.9% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, this wine spent nearly 26 months in oak. Opaque purple in color, it exhibits beautiful blackberry and blackcurrant fruit with hints of white chocolate, allspice and tobacco leaf. It is rich, full-bodied, seriously concentrated, and has 2013's relatively serious structure and tannic clout. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25-30 years.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged nearly 25 months in oak. The wine shows the floral/blueberry notes that often come from higher elevations on Spring Mountain. A nice hint of chocolate, toasty oak, bay leaf and spice box. It’s rich, layered, full-bodied and another beauty. This is also a fairly small cuvée of 335 cases, making it the smallest of any of these cuvées from winemaker Ted Edwards.

Good bright ruby-red. Refined, restrained, slightly medicinal aromas of cassis, licorice, herbs, lead pencil and coffee. Sweet, plush and energetic but youthfully reserved, with the medicinal quality carrying through on the palate. Most impressive today on the broad, slowly building finish, which features firm but very suave tannins and terrific lift. This may merit an even higher rating by the time it's released next fall.

Deep medium ruby. Precise aromas of black raspberry, licorice, espresso and spices. Less obviously sweet in the early going than the Helena Dakota, showing more mineral firmness to the flavors of black raspberry, spices and tobacco. Finishes very long and firm, with solid tannic structure for aging.

(14.8% alcohol) Saturated bright ruby. Aromas of cassis, violet, licorice and menthol, plus a whiff of cocoa powder. Sweet and chewy but with lovely aromatic lift to the black fruit, brown spice and floral flavors. At once structured and silky, powerful and stylish. Finishes with firm tannins and noteworthy verve. From a vineyard planted at an elevation of 750 feet. The gravelly silt and loam soil here is a bit less firm than the sandy gravelly loam (volcanic ash) used to make the Helena Montana wine.

Bright medium ruby. Aromas of medicinal blackberry, licorice, violet, graphite and crushed stone. Rich, sappy and quite concentrated, showing a tactile, chewy texture to the youthfully clenched flavors of black fruits and minerals. No shortage of acidity here. This powerful mountain style of cabernet will need time in bottle to absorb its powerful, building tannins time in bottle to absorb its powerful, building tannins.