A case where dry, dusty tannins meet dried currant and wild berry that shows the elegance of the style, with its refined tannins, but also the good push that comes from extraction. Vineyard has a record for gaining with time.

The just-released 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosché Vineyard (2,000 cases) will undoubtedly suffer in comparison to the 2012 (which I have not tasted). The 2011 is a well-made, more angular style of wine than the 2012s, revealing notes of cedarwood, spicy oak, black cherries and blackcurrants. Made in a medium-bodied, palatable, drinking style, it should be consumed over the next decade.

Medium-depth black cherry fruit laced with rounder, somewhat softer red cherry notes makes the early going in the nose and is filled out by hints of creamy oak and a slight herbal, twiggy scent. The wine is on the medium-bodied side with an early bit of suppleness that gets stiffened by modest tannins and evident, never pushy acidity. It can age a few years or be enjoyed sooner than that if a young Cabernet is on the menu.

Good medium ruby-red, more saturated than the merlot. Attractive floral perfume lifts aromas of red currant, tobacco and licorice. Offers darker berries on the palate, along with dark chocolate, pepper and spices and a slightly green herb-and-menthol element. Nice touch of sweetness. Finishes with firm tannic spine and good length.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa shows beautiful cedary, Christmas fruitcake, black currant and black cherry notes as well as excellent ripeness, medium body and a long, spicy, heady finish. Composed of 82.4% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot and small dollops of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc, it should drink well for 10+ years.

A graceful, elegant style, with understated currant, smoke-laced oak, dried herb and tobacco leaf notes, ending with fine-grained tannins.

Medium ruby-red. Medicinal aromas of black cherry and licorice lifted by a floral element. Juicy, spicy, moderately intense flavors of cassis and toasty oak; distinctly riper than the more pinched and green 2008 merlot bottling. Firmly built wine with polished tannins.

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon emerges from the glass with dark red fruit, spices, tobacco and licorice aromas. It reveals good inner perfume and plenty of depth in a fruit-driven, approachable style. Darker notes of tar and licorice add complexity on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015.

Good red-ruby color. Sweet aromas of plum, currant and fruitcake. The ripest and most generous by a wide margin of this winery's 2007 reds, with a supple texture and a light leesy nuance to the red currant, tobacco and mocha flavors. Finishes with a sweet dusting of tannins and good length.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of fruit (79% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest mostly Merlot and tiny dollops of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc) from estate vineyards. Classic aromas of cedarwood, roasted herbs, dark cherries and white chocolate emerge from spicy, medium-bodied Cabernet. It should provide plenty of pleasure over the next decade. Freemark Abbey continues to be a work in progress as proprietor Jess Jackson moves aggressively to get this estate back to its glory days of the late sixties and early to mid-seventies.

Two-thirds of the 2012 Viognier is barrel-fermented. The wine reveals more tropical orange marmalade and apricot notes intermixed with crisp, steely, mineral characteristics. This medium-bodied, fresh, lively Viognier should drink well for 2-3 years.

Freemark Abbey Napa Valley 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, 88 points, poured a medium brass color clearing two thirds of the way toward the glass edge. Opening sniffs were soft and unremarkable unripe cantaloupe, citrus, and a furtive mint note, but with air, grass aromas developed. Light-bodied with good acidity carried intensifying flavors of grass and sweet hay nuanced with red dragon fruit. Finished well with a candied ginger note and a nicely balanced 13.8% alcohol. Paired perfectly with my Atlantic salmon cakes.

This oaky, fruity Chardonnay is lush and opulent. It has flavors of buttered toast, sweet cream, pineapples, tangerines, tropical-fruit jam, sautéed bananas and limes, accented with brisk acidity.

The 2010 Chardonnay Napa Valley is a very pretty, round, soft wine. Layers of apple, melon and citrus are nicely layered into this generous yet focused white. Blocked malo gives the Chardonnay lovely energy. Even better, this is a terrific value. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015.

Well-built, moderately rich and centered, offering dark berry, plum, currant and cedary cigar box touches. Firms pleasantly on the finish, with a mild tannic grip.

Blended with 7% Syrah and smaller proportions of Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and other grapes, this well-made wine is restrained in style. It shows crisp red fruit, orange and cranberry loaded around dusty tannins, big oak and chocolate.

There are 2638 cases of the artisinal '98 Pinot Noir, a big, rich, earthy, animal-styled Pinot with plenty of black cherry fruit, pepper, & plum aromas as well as flavors. Medium to full-bodied & fruit-driven, with good glycerin & a silky texture, it requires consumption over the next 2-3 years.

Ripe, with juicy plum and strawberry flavors, it turns rich and complex on the finish, with lots of fruit notes.

Pinot Noir World Series

...is surprisingly soft, round, and forward for a Petite Syrah. The wine has plenty of character, an opaque ruby/purple color, and good peppery, blackberry and licorice notes.

Grape and blackberry aromas and flavors drench this full-bodied, smooth-textured wine in fruitiness. It's fat in texture and very easy to drink.

If chocolate-covered cherries could be liquefied, this wine is what they would taste like. It is delicious, fruity, soft in texture, maybe slightly sweet, and so easygoing and tempting that it’s hard to stop sipping. Note that it’s deceptively full in body.

is surprisingly soft, round, & forward for a Petit Syrah. The wine has plenty of character, an opaque ruby/purple color, & good peppery, blackberry & licorice notes. It should drink well for 10-12 years.

Intense & lively, with sweet, jammy, raisiny black cherry, wild berry & nutty Sherry-like flavors that push the envelope in ripeness, finishing with some heat. Label indicates a credible 17.5% alcohol. Drink now through 2006. 275 cases made.