This tightly knitted, intensely saturated pure Cabernet presents a near-perfect medley of blueberry, roasted coffee, and mushroom flavors laced with the sweet scent of wildflowers. Although its complex profile will pair with a long list of favorite dishes, its purity, to our minds, calls for a perfectly grilled filet topped with toasted sage and a mound of melting Roquefort.

Bright citrus and racy acidity; silky and fresh with balance and vibrant style; long and complete.

It’s impressive for a wine this good to be made in rather large quantities. Deep in color, it has mouthcoating fruit and rich tannins, with minty notes adding to the deep, dark cherry and blackberry flavors. Full-bodied and full-flavored, it relies on fruit concentration rather than overt oak for personality and is smooth in texture. It may come out of its dense phase and be even better by 2016.

Delicious, almost sweet fruit flavors are wrapped in firm, velvety tannins for a seriously enjoyable experience. There’s a feeling of polish in the texture, and careful balance between full body, good tannin structure and lively acidity.

This has what we’re looking for in a good, dry red for dinner time, namely fruit aromas, tasty fruit flavors, full body and a firm texture of tannins and acidity. It makes a nice candidate for house red.

A delicious fruit bomb, this has all the jammy goodness of blackberry syrup, with just enough tannin and acidity to keep it from being sweet. Smooth on the palate, it’s full-bodied, uncomplicated and tasty.

Nicely defined, black cherry fruit sits in the starring role here even if the wine is on the more structured, slightly sturdy and less outgoing side of things, and it is highlighted with touches of cocoa and tea with a tailored bit of oak in support. If sufficiently tannic to warrant some years of keeping, this one has the stuffing and balance to develop quite well, and we recommend that it be set aside for another four or five years and given the chance to grow into its best.

Fresh and juicy, showing Key lime pie flavors that are smooth and refreshing, with accents of grapefruit and orange zest.

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.

Cardinale's 2012 Proprietary Red, the flagship wine from the Jackson Family, was looked after and put-together by winemaker Chris Carpenter from numerous vineyard sites traversing Napa Valley. The 2012's final blend was 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot with 94% new French oak used. Terroirists undoubtedly lament the fact that nine different vineyards and seven different appellations were utilized, but the resulting wine is prodigious. A dense purple color is accompanied by notes of graphite, blackberries, blackcurrants, roasted coffee, vanillin, baking spices and forest floor. With enormous complexity and richness as well as full-bodied power and voluptuousness, it is a wine of exceptional purity, intensity, and well-integrated acidity, alcohol, tannin and wood. This seamless, majestic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated 2012 should drink well for two decades.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain exhibits blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, ink and floral notes, and softer, lusher tannins than the Diamond Mountain cuvée. Voluptuously textured, full-bodied and opulent, this complex 2012 should continue to drink beautifully for 15+ years.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain tastes like a first-growth Pauillac. Notes of licorice, crème de cassis, graphite, beef blood and forest floor are all present in this full-bodied, extraordinarily pure, majestic wine that coats the palate, but is neither heavy nor harsh. This magnificent, dramatic Cabernet should continue to drink well for 20-25 years.

To my surprise, the top wine of the La Jota red quartet is the 2012 Merlot W. S. Keyes, a limited production 300-case cuvée made from 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak. Notes of sweet earth, iron, black cherries, blackberries, mocha and unsmoked cigar tobacco are found in this full, thick, sensationally rich Merlot. It is one of the finest Merlots I have tasted from California over recent vintages. Drink it over the next decade.

We will not see the 2013s for a number of years, but the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) looks to be spectacular. It may be the finest Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon yet made by Pierre Seillan. Gorgeous levels of blueberry and blackberry fruit, graphite, wet rocks, a certain freshness and focus, enormous fruit extract, and full body suggest a wine that should last for three decades or more.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard reveals more chocolate and coffee notes. Slightly leaner than the Helena Montana, but also profoundly concentrated, it is a more elegant, feminine version of its sibling. It should age for 20-25 years.

The 2012 Merlot Bosché Vineyard is a blend of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon from a famous vineyard in Rutherford. It exhibits a deep purple color along with sweet coffee bean, black cherry, blackcurrant, plum and loamy soil notes, and medium to full body. Drink this ripe, tasty beauty over the next decade.

Longtime winemaker Ted Edwards has fashioned a beautiful 2013 Chardonnay, an 11,000-case, non-malolactic, 70% barrel-fermented cuvée from multiple sources throughout Napa. One-third new French oak was used. Notes of delicate pear, apple blossom and tropical fruits emerge from this classic Chardonnay. Medium to full-bodied with a greenish hue to its color, it exhibits impressive layers and minerality. Enjoy it over the next 4-5 years.

The star of the Mt Brave trio of new releases is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. There are nearly 5,800 cases of this fairly priced Cabernet. Blueberry, licorice, beef blood, tobacco leaf and forest floor aromas soar from the glass of this ripe, full-bodied, opulent wine. A blend of 87.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.5% Merlot and the rest tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc and Malbec, it was aged in 81% new French oak. The oak component is well-concealed behind the extravagant fruit. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

There are 645 cases of the dark purple-colored 2012 Merlot (100% Merlot), which offers up sumptuous notes of mocha, espresso, chocolate, black cherries and blackberries. This plump, sexy, fleshy, succulent, full-bodied Merlot is already complex and delicious. Drink it over the next 7-10 years.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot aged in 89% new French oak. La Jota's largest cuvée (3,850 cases), it boasts a dense purple color as well as copious notes of licorice, crème de cassis, road tar, charcoal and mulberries. With exceptional fruit intensity, full-bodied opulence, decent acidity and sweet, lush, well-integrated tannin, it should drink well for 10-15+ years.

A cross-Napa Valley blend, the 2012 Merlot is their largest cuvée (15,500 cases), and is composed of 85.2% Merlot blended with other Bordeaux varietals. Only 21% new oak is used, so the fruit component dominates. A dense plum/purple color is followed by notes of chocolate, berries, tobacco leaf, forest floor and mocha. This lush, fruit-driven, hedonistic, sensual Merlot can be drunk over the next 7-8 years.

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard is slightly softer and rounder, and is civilized for a young Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon. Its deep ruby/purple hue is followed by sweet blackcurrant fruit intermixed with hints of wet rocks and gravel. Dense, ripe, and approachable, it should be consumed over the next decade or more.

The 2012 Malbec can compete with some of the big boys from Argentina. Aromas of coffee beans, blackberries, chocolate and vanilla jump from the glass of this opaque purple-colored wine. With exceptional intensity, sweet tannin and a long, rich, layered finish, this blend of 98% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in two-thirds new French oak should drink well for 8-12 years.