Austere and tannic, yet it's a very deliberate, seamless style, with layers of rich currant, plum and black cherry fruit, plus hints of toast, anise, sage, cedar and berry, all tightly wound and sharply focused. Complex, concentrated aftertaste.

This mountain grown cabernet comes from the highest vineyard site in Sonoma County, in the eastern hills of the Alexander Valley. Planted above the fog, the vineyard was originally developed in the eighties as the Gauer Ranch. Kendall-Jackson purchased the ranch in 1995, and created the Buckeye Cabernet from some of its best parcels. It's lush with deep fruit and a crushed velvet texture, in the nose of Steve Test's Stonestreet Cabernets of the early nineties. The fruit is sweet as blackstrap molasses, but held to a freshness so it reads as bright cherries; the structure is built on fine tannins and smoky oak. Overall, a wine as dramatic as the vineyard where it grows.

The 2017s From Sonoma The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate is a beauty. It comes all from estate vineyards in Alexander Valley and spent a full 20 months in 47% new French oak. This medium to full-bodied, fresh, concentrated Cabernet offers classic Sonoma character as well as notes of crème de cassis, spice box, vanilla bean, and smoky oak. Elegant, nicely textured, and beautifully balanced, it’s well worth seeking out and will keep for over a decade.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Trace Ridge is a very pretty and expressive Knights Valley Cabernet. Grilled herb, leather, smoke, chocolate and game notes run through this virile, expressive Cabernet. I would give the 2016 a few years in bottle to soften. Today, the tannins are quite imposing.

The 2017s From Sonoma The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Trace Ridge is another terrific wine. Coming all from Knights Valley and 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in 47% new French oak, it offers outstanding notes of cassis and black cherry fruit intermixed with hints of white flowers, violets, lead pencil shavings, and just a hint of rocky minerality. Focused, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully balanced, give bottles 2-3 years and it should develop beautifully over the following 15 years or more.

Another big-time winner is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Trace Ridge from Knights Valley. This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 60% new French cooperage for 21 months prior to bottling. The wine has a deep purple color and a beautiful nose of blueberry and blackberry fruit along with some lead pencil shavings and spring flowers. It hits the palate with a thunderous impact of fruit, glycerin and some heady alcohol. With a rich, lush finish, the wine is long and impressive. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.

An outstanding effort is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Hawkeye, which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 21 months primarily in French oak, of which 46% was new. An opaque ruby/purple color, terrific crème de cassis, licorice and forest floor notes are followed by hints of barrique, loamy soil, blackcurrants and blackberries. It is full-bodied, opulent, and already showing secondary nuances. This wine should evolve gorgeously for another 10-15 years.

A bold, dark side expression of Alexander Valley, with lively blackberry, black cherry, currant and vanilla aromas and flavors that ride a firm structure through a long, rich finish. I'd give it some time in the cellar to allow a little more integration of the oak and gain maximum enjoyment.

From a site at 2,400 feet elevation, this wine’s aroma suggests pencil lead, cedar, clove and mountain sage. With its juicy midpalate of black cherry and cassis, it unleashes firm, grippy tannins on its long finish, showing structure but also grace.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve delivers tons of Sonoma County personality in its distinctly savory/mineral profile. Red stone fruits, flowers, herbs and ferrous notes add considerable character to a Cabernet Sauvignon that impresses for its distinctive personality.

From a site with elevation rising as high as 2,200 feet, this wine delivers tremendous complexity and minerality, the grapes from volcanic soils. Meaty, with a wisp of smoky char, it's ripe and full bodied in cherry and cassis, nuances of bay leaf and rocky tannin.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Hawkeye is a well-built, structured, deep and potentially complex wine that has plenty of upside. Dense ruby/purple, full-bodied, very young and backward, this wine does offer impressive texture, depth and quality. Drink 2017-2030.

Dark and smooth with black cherry and cassis; rich, chewy and seamless with vanilla, depth, softness and balance.

Brooding and tannic, this Cab is hard to appreciate now. But it’s massively rich and concentrated with blackberry and cassis flavors, and the overall balance suggests aging. Drink from 2017 and beyond.

Such an elegant, yet expressive cabernet on the nose. Aromas of blackcurrant cassis mingle with dried herbs and cigar box. The palate opens to layers of dark fruit anise and smoke. Terrific balance, depth and length with a dry finish.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Hawkeye Mountain is a cool, introspective wine. Dark red fruit, mocha, crushed flowers, graphite, licorice and spices wrap around the intense, palate staining finish. The Hawkeye Mountain is all about finesse. I especially like the way the wine continues to put on weight with time in the glass. The 2009 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the northern part of Alexander Mountain Estate Vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017.

A wonderfully good wine, especially at this price. Easily the best K-J Vintner's Reserve ever. Inky black, full-bodied and dry, it houses rich, complex blackberry, plum and smoky oak flavors, wrapped into finely ground, firm tannins. Run, don't walk, to find this affordable beauty.

More graphite, blueberry and floral notes are found in the 2007 Highland Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Trace Ridge. Coming from a high-elevation vineyard in Knights Valley, this wine if full-bodied, deep, rich, and should age nicely for 15 or more years.

Shows the soft tannins and slight herbal quality of a top Alexander Valley Cab, along with low-yield mountain concentration of red and black currants, mocha and spice. Drink this polished, supple wine though 2012.

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Hawkeye Mountain from the Alexander Valley offers sweet blackberry, loamy soil, new oak, and spice notes. It is more concentrated as well as more tannic than the Trace Ridge Cabernet.

This has become a mostly Sonoma blend (87) with a dash of fruit from Mendocino (8) and Napa (5). Big, boisterous and flavourful, this is full on California cabernet. Somewhat reminiscent of the 1997, with its spicy, earthy blackberry fruit and beautiful mid-palate textures Dense, round and showing well now, this should only get better with time. Chosen from only 1.5 percent of all the KJ cab lots.

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Highland Estates Napa Mountain comes from their holdings on Mt. Veeder and represents 422 cases of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that is, again, aged in mostly all-new French oak. With an extreme dark ruby/purple color, lots of blueberry, black raspberry, graphite and spring flowers jump from the glass of this deep, full-bodied, sensational wine. It is young, rich and another great example of Mt. Veeder's potential. All of this vineyard is planted at elevations ranging from 1,200 to 1,850 feet.

From a high mountain vineyard over the Alexander Valley. The wine is clearly built for the cellar. Deep down you'll find a solid core of well-ripened cherry fruit.

Yes, yes, yes! This is what we want from Californian Zinfandel: fleshy dark fruit that's not sweet, just rich. A whiff of pepper, a lick of savoury goodness that in no way dims the vibrant character. There's some restraint and balance in a good way yet this is full-bodied, supple and smooth. Ready to dance with gourmet hamburgers