This blend of 87% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec (the highest percentage of Merlot ever used for Le Desir) reveals notes of truffles, mocha, wild mountain berry fruit, crushed rock and coffee. Fabulous fruit, tremendous viscosity and opulence and a full-bodied, voluptuous texture result in a wine that is hard to resist even though it remains an adolescent in terms of development. It should provide pleasure over the next 15+ years.

This blend of 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec spent 18 months in new oak. Its fragrant, floral aromas mingle with the characteristically subtle spice notes. The palate is full-bodied with a marked yet mellow tannic structure, followed by an appealing note of gastronomic bitterness on the finish. This wine stands out for its floral character. It needs another 10 years of ageing but will retain excellent age-worthiness.

My favorite of this trio is the 2003 Le Desir, a Sonoma County St.-Emilion look-alike made from 41% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec (14.3% alcohol). Hints of graphite, mulberries, black cherries, black currants, licorice, dusty loamy soil, truffles and spice emerge from this strikingly fragrant, complex 2003. Full-bodied with formidable intensity, sweet tannin and a long, layered finish that lasts for nearly 50 seconds, this is a tour de force and a compelling 2003. Accessible now, it should continue to drink well for two decades. Bravo!

This 93% Merlot / 7% Cabernet Franc blend (92% from the Alexander Mountain Estate, 6% from Bennett Valley and 2% from Knight's Valley) is a kissing cousin of the 2001, only softer and more flamboyant. Classically Californian in its exuberant, flamboyant, super-rich, unctuously textured style, the tannins are softer than in the 2001, but the wine unquestionably has the potential to last for another quarter of a century. It exhibits an opaque plum/purple color along with abundant notes of cassis, licorice, graphite, coffee cake and spice box. More approachable than the 2001, the 2002 will offer phenomenal drinking over the next 25 years.

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2015 La Joie features a very deep purple-black color and almost electric nose of crushed blackcurrants, ripe black cherries and mulberries with sparks of raspberry pie, wild blueberries, unsmoked cigars, charcuterie and crushed stones. Medium to full-bodied and charged with the most amazing energy, the youthful, vibrant black-fruited palate is framed by very firm, very finely grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing with lingering crushed stones and earth layers.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed Sensational aromas of blackberries, blueberries, violets and wet earth. Tar undertones. Full body, chewy yet polished tannins and a long, flavorful finish. A neoclassical wine with a great future. A majority of cabernet sauvignon in this Bordeaux blend. Needs two or three years to soften still.

How much fun collectors will have comparing the 2007 and 2008 La Joies over the next three decades. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec (48% from Alexander Valley Mountain Estate, 34% from Chalk Hill and 18% from Knight's Valley), the 2008 has similar technical numbers to the 2007 (a pH of 3.68 and 14.4% alcohol). Wonderful notes of roasted herbs, asphalt, black truffles, blackberries, cassis, camphor and subtle oak are present in the majestic aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is extraordinarily concentrated, pure and dense with amazing length. It is another 30-40 year wine that confirms the confidence the late Jess Jackson had in both his vineyard sources and his winemaker, Pierre Seillan.

Another great showing for a wine from this vintage, the 2004 La Joie is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The majority of the fruit came from the Alexander Mountain Estate, followed by Knight's Valley, Bennett Valley and Chalk Hill. Full-bodied, powerful and concentrated, it is richer than either the 2003 and 2001, and comes closer to the 2002's personality. Sweet notes of caramels, espresso roast, forest floor, camphor, plums, chocolate and blackberries emerge from this full-bodied, unctuously textured, chewy, fleshy 2004. It requires another 3-5 years of bottle age and should keep for three decades or more.

Wine reviewed in May (see previous entry).

This is Cabernet Sauvignon lifted to greatness, an impeccable statement concerning this region of the high Mayacamas Mountains on the Sonoma side that, by law, is forced to bear a valley appellation. The wine is awesome, vast and complex, fascinating in every aspect, yet locked down in tough tannins that exaggerate the acidity, making the wine functionally undrinkable. It is a beautiful, classic Cabernet, very near perfect, and certainly one of the successes of the vintage. Don't even think of drinking it before 2014, and it should evolve in the bottle for a good 10 years after that.

North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley’s Incredible 2016s Also borderline perfection, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District offers more conifer and pine forest notes as well as vivid blueberry fruits, a full-bodied, intense, layered mouthfeel, thrilling elegance, and a big finish. My note on this one was sprinkled with a few expletives and this wine has everything you could want from Cabernet Sauvignon. As with the other 2016s from Chris, 2-4 years of bottle age are recommended.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines This is an extraordinary wine with blackberries, blackcurrants and minerals. Full body and powerful tannins that melt into the fruit. I am in awe here.

From a site Chris calls their closest to Bordeaux, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain flirts with perfection and tastes like the essence of this cooler mountain terroir. Blueberries, cassis, plums, menthol, and violet notes all emerge from this full-bodied, elegant, yet incredibly sexy, seamless 2015 that has fine, fine tannin, and a finish that won’t quit. With both mouthfilling power and richness as well as elegance and finesse, it’s an incredible wine that could come from nowhere else. Drink it anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.

Usually my favorite in many vintages, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is the most backward of the 2014s and actually seems to require 4-5 years of bottle age. The wine has the telltale signs of Mt. Veeder – blackberry and blueberry fruit infused with considerable floral nuances. This wine has all that, then hits the palate with a cascade of glycerin, fruit extraction, and layers of blackberry and blueberry fruit. It is full-bodied and opulent, but finishes with some structure and ripe tannin. This is a magnificent wine – full-throttle, extremely pure, and incredibly well-balanced. Give it 5-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following three decades.

From the micro-terroir of the W. S. Keyes Vineyard on Howell Mountain, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is pushing perfection. Its incredibly opaque color is followed by notes of lead pencil shavings, mulberry, blackberry and dark raspberry fruit, some background oak and minerality, and profound richness in a full-bodied, multi-dimensional style. It is gorgeously ripe, and sexy already, with a lush and voluptuous texture. Drink it over the next 25+ years.

From a high-elevation vineyard that was replanted in 2006, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain reveals an opaque purple color as well as notes of mulberries, graphite, blackberries and a hint of charcoal. This dramatic, ostentatious 2012 is in keeping with the stylistic characteristics of this vintage. Multidimensional, stunningly pure and rich, it is a beauty that flirts with perfection. Drink now-2032.

The nearly perfect, inky/purple-colored 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder boasts abundant aromas of blueberry pie, ink, violets, burning embers, and camphor. The staggeringly intense, provocatively complex aromatics are followed by a full-bodied wine with exquisite concentration as well as a stunningly pure texture. One of the most prodigious 2007 Cabernets I tasted, it should provide magical drinking in 5-6 years, and last for three decades or more.

Napa Valley: 2007 Retrospective - Napa's Turning-Point Vintage Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder features an incredible perfume of potpourri, baking spices, charcuterie and forest floor with a core of ripe red and black plums, blackcurrant cordial and black cherries plus a hint of violets. Full-bodied, very tightly knit and incredibly youthful, the concentrated fruit flavors reveal a myriad of earth and mineral accents with a rock-solid, grainy texture to support and a very long, lively finish. Give this beauty another 4-6 years in bottle and then drink it over the next 25+.

Knocking on the door of perfection is the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder from the Veeder Peak Vineyard. The volcanic rock and sandy soils seem to always provide something that winemaker Chris Carpenter crafts into a compelling Cabernet Sauvignon. With an opaque, bluish/purple color as well as blackberry, blueberry, licorice, incense and floral notes, this is a multidimensional, blockbuster Cabernet Sauvignon, with sweet tannin, adequate acidity and staggering depth and power. It can be drunk now as well as over the next two decades. Bravo!

The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain is the best showing yet of this wine (which I originally rated 94). Close to perfection, it exhibits a first-growth Pauillac-like bouquet of cedarwood, creme de cassis, licorice and lead pencil shavings. This dense purple-colored, full-bodied 2002 reveals a fabulous texture, a multilayered mouthfeel, tremendous purity, and an exuberance and flamboyance that are unbelievable. Its great length of 45-50 seconds offers up a vibrancy and energy that must be tasted to be believed. These wines are all naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts and are aged in 100% new French oak (which is totally concealed by the lavish amount of fruit). This 2002 is still a young adolescent in terms of development, with at least 25 more years ahead of it.

Absolutely prodigious, the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain was fashioned from the Keyes Vineyard (formerly known as the Liparita Vineyard) owned by the Jackson family. A fabulous perfume of crushed rocks, a liqueur of raspberries, black currants and cherries, and a background floral note emerges from this intense, full-bodied Cabernet. It possesses impressive equilibrium, a skyscraper-like texture and a finish that goes on for nearly a minute. There is plenty of tannin remaining in this youthful 2001. It is a stunning, statuesque, compelling Cabernet Sauvignon from a high elevation, cool climate Howell Mountain vineyard that should age effortlessly for another quarter of a century. Winemaker Chris Carpenter, who has worked for the late Jess Jackson for many years, hit pay dirt at Lokoya in nearly every vintage. Certainly these 2001s have aged magnificently over the last decade. These 100% Cabernet Sauvignons are aged for 18-22 months in 100% new French oak and are bottled with no fining or filtration.

North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley’s Incredible 2016s A tribute to the great Merlots of the world, the 2016 Merlot W.S. Keyes checks in as 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and unfortunately, there’s only a tiny amount made. This inky colored beauty offers a huge nose of black cherries, currants, graphite, licorice, crushed rocks and new leather. It's rich, powerful, concentrated and layered, with terrific acidity and freshness, building tannin, and incredible length. It’s a tour de force in Merlot that will benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for 20-25 years or more.

Another huge, yet elegant Chardonnay, the 2015 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard boasts a deeper gold color to go with a powerful, deep bouquet of buttered citrus, tangerine, baking spice, and awesome salty minerality. With full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless, incredibly pure and precise texture, and a huge finish, this is another incredible Chardonnay from this team. The Seascape Vineyard is located on a panoramic ridge-top west of the town of Occidental facing Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean, and this 2015 was barrel fermented and aged 16 months in 42% new French oak.

2013 will definitely go down as one of the greatest vintages in Freemark Abbey's storied history, with this wine joining the Bosché and the regular Napa Valley bottlings in the stratosphere. Contains 5.4% Merlot, 5.7% Cabernet Franc and 3.9% Petit Verdot. It's all here and then some -- blackberry, cassis, cedar spice, baker's chocolate, mild dried herbs -- all presented with depth and complexity, and finishing together. As the firm structure subsides, this will be worthy of more than a one hundred point score in my book. Awesome wine.

A flagship wine -- one of Napa Valley's heritage wines -- that simply stuns with depth and staying power with the 2013 vintage. Classic in every sense of the word, it's a wine that I hesitate to give a list of descriptors on. If you'd like to taste a true benchmark wine of the region, this is a great place to start. I dare say it's a bargain at this price. Ted Edwards has been doing this for a long time, and this might be his ne plus ultra moment. Spectacular!