Chris Carpenter makes this wine at a Jackson family vineyard above the fog line in northern Mt. Veeder, a remote spot that was one of Jess Jackson's favorite places in his stable of mountain sites. The vineyard produced a delicious 2011 cabernet, a cool, black wine that shows none of the damp challenges of the vintage. Scents of anise meet crunchy dark red fruit in a lush and approachable wine, its tannins forming fine layers of chocolate in the spaces between the fruit. It's approachable now and suited to several years of cellaring.

Dark raspberry jam, spices, cedar and leather jump from the glass in the 2012 Malbec, one of the best wines in the Mt. Brave lineup. Deeply expressive, layered and perfumed, the 2012 impresses for its terrific flavor intensity and persistence. I would prefer to enjoy the 2012 on the young side, while the fruit retains its primary energy, but there is more than enough depth to support 7-10 years of cellaring, perhaps more. A dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon rounds out the blend.

This vineyard rises above the fog line in the northern reaches of Mt. Veeder. Originally planted by Chateau Potelle and purchased by Jackson Family Farms in 2007, it has since been the province of winemaker Chris Carpenter, who handles several mountain sites for the firm. This wine draws on the initial three acres of malbec planted in 2003. Impressed by the character of the wine, the team has since doubled the amount of malbec on the property. It's a noble experiment, as this wine captures both Mt. Veeder and malbec in its red forest berry flavors, its tight, zesty fruit length and its bright rose petal scents. Simple, luscious and delicious.

The most elegant and seductive is the Chambolle-Musigny-like 2012 Pinot Noir Jolie. Dark ruby-plum colored (this is also the source for Hartford Court’s Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters), it offers up blue fruits, spring flowers, and wet stones in an attractive, medium to full-bodied, well-crafted and pure style. It should drink nicely for up to a decade and be slightly more approachable than the Afleet.

Dark cherries, iron, smoke, leather, cedar and tobacco meld together in the 2012 Merlot. This is a distinctly red-toned, savory Merlot with considerable nuance and complexity. Hints of sage, rosemary and anise add nuance on the finish. Readers should expect an intense, mountain Merlot built more on structure than fruit. The 2012 is 100% Merlot from the La Jota and Keyes vineyards on Howell Mountain.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the more complete, well-rounded wines in the La Jota range. Dark red and black cherry, plum, spice, new leather, smoke and licorice are some of the notes that wrap around the palate. The 2012 is dark, voluptuous and juicy, all signatures of the year. In 2012, the blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot.

This is not as thunderous as Howell Mountain cabernets can be, said Tonya Pitts of San Francisco's One Market, commenting on the freshness of the acidity carrying the flavors through the finish. While the fruit is ripe, floral and red, the tannins have the blackness of creosote, lending the wine power and density without feeling aggressive. Decant it to take on the char of grilled lamb chops.

Juicy raspberry and cherry fruit; silky and bright with tangy acidity and long, fresh finish.

Of the nearly 180 Pinot Noirs from 2012 that I've tasted since March, only 60 have scored less than 90 points.

The 2011 La Muse (2,100 cases) is a Pomerol-styled wine made from 89% Merlot, 7% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Franc. It exhibits a dense ruby color along with attractive aromas of Christmas fruitcake, sweet baking spices, red and blackcurrants and licorice. Medium to full-bodied and complete, it tails off slightly in the finish, but this outstanding 2011 should offer pleasure over the next 10-15 years.

The 2012 Merlot jumps from the glass with exuberant dark fruit and tons of pure intensity. Mocha, plum, lavender, cedar and blackberry jam saturate the palate in a deep, inky Merlot built on pure texture, volume and depth. With time in the glass, the wine freshens up a bit and the tannins become more prominent.

Juicy red fruit meets black olive tannins in a crush of stony, mineral warmth, ending this powerful wine with some freshness and tension. Youthfully hard in its structure, this should age well over the next several years.

The richer, more complete and potentially more complex 2013 Proprietary Red is composed of 50% Cabernet Franc, 29% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec. Its possesses a dense ruby/purple color along with notes of dark berries, white chocolate, forest floor and spice box, and medium to full body. Winemaker Hélène Seillan seems to have a magic touch at getting sweet, velvety tannins integrated into the wine’s structural core. This beauty should offer delicious drinking over the next 8-12 years.

Another winner, but more backward, is the 2012 Pinot Noir Hawkster, from Clone 2A. This was aged in 63% new French oak for 14 months. Showing notes of baking spices, blackcurrants and cherries with loamy soil undertones, this medium to full-bodied wine has sweet tannin and, again, excellent purity and craftsmanship. It should drink nicely for up to a decade.

Tangy fruit and soft oak; juicy, fresh and long; Ted Edwards has been doing this for a long time and he's got it down pat.

The 2012 Proprietary Red (3,847 cases) is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was aged in 30% new oak. It is a delicious, fruit-forward, delicate, Bordeaux-styled red revealing notes of blackcurrants, blueberries, licorice and earth. Medium to full-bodied, round and easygoing, it is best consumed over the next 7-8 years.

In contrast to Wind Racer's Anderson Valley Pinot, the 2012 Pinot Noir Russian River shows more charcuterie, roasted herbs and rosemary jam. It is a spicy yet fresh style of Pinot Noir to drink over the next 3-4 years.

A Médoc-inspired wine, the 2011 La Joie (2,800 cases) is composed of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and the rest small quantities of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. It reveals a slight austerity (typical for this vintage) as well as dry tannins in a reasonably long finish for a 2011. The deep ruby/plum/purple color is followed by notes of tobacco leaf, forest floor, blackcurrants, chocolate and vanilla. Medium-bodied with an impressive attack and mid-palate, some hard tannins give the wine an angular aftertaste. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

A rich, ample wine, the 2012 Cabernet Franc is all about texture. Dark red and black fruit, smoke, incense and spices meld together in the glass. The style is rich, racy and voluptuous, with tons of immediacy and near-term appeal. The 2012 is 100% Cabernet Franc from the La Jota and Keyes vineyards on Howell Mountain.

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.

This is a powerfully earthy and rustic Pinot soft in tannin structure and exuberant in ripe dark cherry and berry, a touch of savory leather and tobacco peaking on the finish.

My score: 9. The topography known as the Santa Maria bench is less than 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean, and the valley runs east to west, so plenty of cool and humid air (often in the form of a dense fog) makes its way into the vineyards. Winemaker Jonathan Nagy is meticulous in his standards for both the vineyards and the cellar, and the Byron wines are made as naturally as possible. After cold-soaking for four to five days, the grapes are crushed, and the juice ages in French oak for 10 months.

Extraordinarily elegant for Howell Mountain; lots of red and blue fruit character with scents of earth, pepper and spice, but also finishing Napa-way, with chalky tannin.

Full-bodied and rich, with aromas and flavors of ripe peaches and tropical fruit.

We like the apple, pear and clove flavors in this medium-body chardonnay with assertive aromas and velvet mouthfeel.