Top Ten: California For almost two decades, Lokoya Mt Veeder has been made from a selection of blocks within Veeder Peak Estate vineyard that sits on the sunny western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains at the northern end of the Mount Veeder AVA. Poor, low nutrient volcanic soil yields small berries and big, concentrated flavours. Blueberries and violets with dense, rich mountain tannins spill from the glass. It’s always 100 percent cabernet sauvignon, fermented with native yeast, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Wisps of smoke and meat complex what is an outstanding bottle of cabernet and a direction many could learn from. I love the dry, firm mineral undercurrent and the subtle red fruit punctuation marks. You could drink this if you had to, but a decade or two in the cellar would leave this close to perfection and a fun bottle to slip into blind tastings.

For almost two decades, Lokoya Mt Veeder has been made from a selection of blocks within Veeder Peak Estate vineyard that sits on the sunny western ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains at the northern end of the Mount Veeder AVA. Poor, low nutrient volcanic soil yields small berries and big, concentrated flavours. Blueberries and violets with dense, rich mountain tannins spill from the glass. It’s always 100 percent cabernet sauvignon, fermented with native yeast, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Wisps of smoke and meat complex what is an outstanding bottle of cabernet and a direction many could learn from. I love the dry, firm mineral undercurrent and the subtle red fruit punctuation marks. You could drink this if you had to, but a decade or two in the cellar would leave this close to perfection and a fun bottle to slip into blind tastings.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain comes from several parcels, most notably the Wallis vineyard. The wine has an opaque, black-as-a-moonless-night color and an incredible nose of volcanic ash and charcoal interwoven with creme de cassis, blackberry, licorice, grilled meats and almost a beef blood-like component from a grilled steak. The wine has fabulous body and tremendous opulence that nearly hides its significant tannin and structure. This is an enormously endowed, rich wine that probably has 30-40 years of upside potential.

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.

Even better is the wonderfully perfumed 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain. Abundant aromas of black raspberries, blueberry liqueur, forest floor and violets are followed by a wine of great intensity, full-bodied richness and a layered, multidimensional personality with sweet tannin as well as low acidity. This beautiful, savory, full-throttle effort should drink well for 15 years.

Lokoya's 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is another striking wine from Chris Carpenter. Mocha, plums and cassis wrap around the palate in a gorgeous, inky Cabernet endowed with gorgeous textural depth and pure volume. Layers of flavor build in the glass in a rich, sumptuous wine endowed with superb depth. The fruit is so rich there is almost no sensation of mountain tannin, which is highly unusual for Howell Mountain, especially in 2011. A deep, plush finish laced with pencil shavings, graphite, plums and smoke leaves a lasting impression. I imagine the 2011 will enjoy a long and broad drinking window once the tannins start to soften.

More crushed stone, mulberry, black currant, lead pencil shavings and wet pebble-like notes emerge from the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. This beauty possesses great intensity, full-bodied power, low acidity and sweet tannin. It can be drunk now and over the next 12-15 years.

Chris Carpenter's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is super-impressive from start to finish. A rich, dark wine, the 2010 saturates the palate with endless layers of huge fruit. Violets, menthol, tar, plums and blueberry jam all flow from this striking wine. Clean veins of piercing, saline Mt. Veeder minerality run through the 2010. Although just bottled, the 2010 is shaping up to be a jewel of wine.

Another stunning effort, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain comes from Jess Jackson's well-known Keyes Vineyard high on Howell Mountain. Like all of these wines, it is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It offers stunning notes of crushed rocks, boysenberries, blueberries, black raspberries, black currants, graphite and a hint of toasty oak as well as a sensationally concentrated mid-palate finish. Forget it for 3-5 years and drink it over the following three decades. One of the stars in Jess Jackson's Artisans and Estates portfolio, Lokoya focuses on high elevation mountain vineyards in four separate Napa appellations. Winemaker Chris Carpenter has been the force behind these wines for many years.

Juicy and deep; powerful, rich, long and stunning; ripe and intense with minerals, chocolate and spice, black cherry and cassis.

Napa Valley: 2007 Retrospective - Napa's Turning-Point Vintage Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain opens with provocative dark chocolate and black cherries notes with underlying notions of tilled soil, plum preserves, spice cake, cracked pepper and yeast extract plus a waft of truffles. Big, concentrated, full-bodied and muscular in the mouth, the palate offers a very firm backbone and wonderful freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing on a persistent mineral note.

Absolutely astounding is the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder. Bluish/black to the rim, with a gorgeous nose of creosote, incense, creme de cassis, blackberry, violets, espresso roast, and perhaps a hint of underlying chocolate, this is fabulously textured, low in acidity, high in tannin, but so, so rich, layered, and enthralling. This is a prodigious young Cabernet Sauvignon that should be at its best between 2013 and 2035. Four absolutely stunning Cabernet Sauvignons from winemaker Chris Carpenter, these are the creme de le creme of some of the Jess Jackson-owned Napa vineyards. All mountain sites, all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, all unfined and unfiltered - and all four are of irrefutably great quality. The case productions are relatively limited, from a very small 120-cases from the Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain sites to nearly 800 cases of Mt. Veeder. They all share several things in common - great ripeness, great texture, and fabulous aging potential.

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain has a blackish ruby color and a beautifully sweet nose of spring flowers, blackberries, and charcoal. It is full-bodied, has fabulous purity, great texture, and a finish of close to a minute. This is a sensationally opulent, rich Cabernet Sauvignon that should drink beautifully for 20-25 or more years. Four absolutely stunning Cabernet Sauvignons from winemaker Chris Carpenter, these are the creme de le creme of some of the Jess Jackson-owned Napa vineyards. All mountain sites, all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, all unfined and unfiltered - and all four are of irrefutably great quality. The case productions are relatively limited, from a very small 120-cases from the Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain sites to nearly 800 cases of Mt. Veeder. They all share several things in common - great ripeness, great texture, and fabulous aging potential.

Another tiny production cuvée was the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. Forest floor, charcoal, incense, white chocolate and pen ink are all present in this full-bodied, rich and concentrated wine. It's just a shame there is so little of it. It should continue to drink well for another 20 years, much like all of these wines.

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reverie Vineyard was harvested in mid-October and is the smallest production cuvee of this trio. It displays classic notes of graphite, mulberries, black currants and other wild mountain berry fruit and flora. Full-bodied, dense and rich, it has reached full maturity, where it should remain for another 10-15 years.

Notions of crushed rocks, white chocolate, black currants, plums, and flowers jump from the glass of the inky/purple-hued 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. With sweet tannin, massive body, and undeniable elegance as well as length, it should drink well 15 or more years.

Boasts an extraordinary perfume of lead pencil shavings intermixed with charcoal, blueberries, blackberries, and cassis. This provocative Cabernet possesses the highest tannin level. But also the most concentration, texture, and depth. As it sits in the glass, scents of flowers, espresso roast, and black fruits emerge. A tour de force in Cabernet Sauvignon, it requires 4-5 years of aging, and should last for two decades.

The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain (473 cases) reveals a strikingly complex perfume of cedar wood, white chocolate, acacia flowers, creme de cassis, and hints of earth as well as truffles. Full-bodied, dense, and layered. with gorgeous sweetness and purity, tremendously intense flavors, and well-integrated tannin, acidity, and wood, this blockbuster, classically rendered Cabernet Sauvignon should hit its stride in five years, and last for two decades.

The 2014 Chardonnay from Legacy is superb. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint, white pepper and chalk give the 2014 a distinctly bright yet delicate personality that plays beautifully off the natural intensity of the fruit. Bright saline note and a hint of reduction linger on the sublime finish. Silky and polished, this supremely beautiful Chardonnay has so much to offer. Precision, subtlety and nuance are the signatures in a gorgeous Chardonnay from Legacy and winemaker Graham Weerts.

North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley’s Incredible 2016s One of the top Merlots in the report is certainly the 2016 Merlot Howell Mountain from La Jota. This fabulous wine boasts a deep purple color as well as a true “wow” nose of blackberries, ripe cherries, spice, bay leaf, and ample savory, complex herbal notes. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a layered, balanced style, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Drink it any time over the coming two decades.

Crowd-Pleasing Budget Wines Forget everything you've ever been told about the softness and approachability of merlot. La Jota's Howell Mountain merlot is a beast of a wine that delivers layers of ripe blue fruits, chewy tannins and the heft of a Napa Valley cabernet. This vintage shows notes of wood spice, graphite and cedar, with impressive heft and length. It's built for the long haul, and it would benefit from additional cellar time.

Outrageously complex and sensational is the 2014 W. S. Keyes Merlot. This single vineyard Merlot (a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 85% new French oak) is a killer. Merlot has certainly fallen out of fashion in California, but it is a fabulous variety, and when it’s this good, people take notice. Opaque purple in color, this rivals the best Merlots I have tasted over many years. Notes of blueberry, black raspberry, mocha, roasted coffee and melted chocolate are all present in this wine of great intensity, profound richness, and a long, opulent, layered mouthfeel. This is sensational and can clearly rival the Merlot-dominated La Muse from Verité. Drink this wine over the next 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.

Made from 100% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Cabernet Franc Howell Mountain has a very deep purple-black color, revealing a drop dead gorgeous perfume of red roses, violets and black tea over a core of kirsch, red currants and black raspberries, with wafts of cinnamon stick and dried herbs. Medium-bodied, very finely textured and refreshing in the mouth, it offers wonderful perfumed red fruit layers and a long, mineral-laced finish.

The 2014 Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new French oak, comes from relatively new plantings of Cabernet Franc in both the La Jota and W. S. Keyes Vineyards. La Jota had made some incredible Cabernet Francs in the 1990s, but they were often spoiled by Brett contamination. This wine is sensational. Black purple, its incredible nose of truffles, asphalt, forest floor and white flowers is followed by blueberry and black raspberry fruit, a multi-layered texture, full-bodied richness, and a killer finish. This magnificent Cabernet Franc rivals some of the best being made in Northern California.