Bright, deep ruby. Pungent, high-pitched aromas of cassis, violet and crushed rock; hints at a distinct mineral austerity. Then almost surprisingly lush and sweet on the palate, with rich, clean dark berry flavors expanding to fill the mouth and building on the finish. This highly concentrated, multi layered wine finishes with noble tannins and terrific lingering violet perfume.

A beautiful wine, supple and delicious. Classically dry and tannic, it shows fascinating, elusive blackberry, blueberry, currant and herb flavors, elaborated with sweet, smoky oak. Lots going on here, and it should develop nicely in the bottle over the next decade.

A very successful vintage for Freemark Abbey's wines overall, and this young, intensely concentrated Merlot is a star of the year. Quite tannic now, with delineated blackberry, cherry, cassis, cola and spice flavors, its best years are ahead. Cellar this impressive wine for 4-6 years.

(14.8% alcohol; 100% cabernet sauvignon; aged in French oak, 97% new; from whiter soil than the Helena Dakota): Deep ruby. Knockout nose combines dark berries, licorice and a powerful violet element. Then wonderfully suave and fine-grained, with great energy and lift to the middle palate. The strong floral quality carries straight through to the ripely tannic finish. Comes across today as more feminine and more subtle than the Helena Dakota, and surprisingly approachable at this early stage of its development. These wines offer lovely examples of Pierre Seillan's winemaking, at a lower price than his otherworldly Verite bottlings.

(91% cabernet sauvignon and 9% merlot): Bright ruby-red. Restrained but complex aromas of black cherry, cassis, minerals, espresso, Cuban tobacco and sexy oak. Penetrating black- and blueberry fruit flavors are given precision and lift by a strong floral element. Lovely juicy, firmly structured wine that really requires at least five years in bottle to express itself. Not fat but boasts terrific definition and energy, not to mention superb persistence. In the style of the 2007 Cardinale but with even more grip. A distinctly adult style. Winemaker Chris Carpenter describes 2008 as a lighter year, and thus the selection for this wine was 95% from mountain fruit and the other 5% from To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville.

Medium ruby. Reticent but very pure aromas of blueberry, cassis, licorice and menthol. Shockingly rich and sweet but very young, showing superb concentration to its cassis flavor complemented by sexy oak tones. This really vibrates on the very long finish, where the wine's powerful mountain tannins are buried in fruit. Less showy today than the Howell Mountain cabernet but with outstanding long-term potential.

Shows all the hallmarks of an important young Napa Cabernet. Bone dry and quite hard in tannins, it's immensely concentrated in blackberries, black currants, cassis and fine, smoky new oak. Possesses that elusive quality of dramatic terroir, a real sense of place. Very fine young wine that needs time. Cellar until at least 2015.

Shows all the hallmarks of an ageable wine. It's bone dry, big and hard in tannins, and densely packed with blackberries, cherries, cola, licorice and smoky cedar notes.

...it showcases an immaculate core of blackberries and black currants. Elegant and classy, it should age well throughout the decade.

(100% cabernet sauvignon, from fruit grown at 2,400 feet): Bright medium ruby. Vibrant aromas of cassis, black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate are lifted by a piquant note of orange peel. Juicy, perfumed and penetrating, with lovely definition and energy to its pure dark fruit flavors. Finishes with dusty, broad tannins and a hint of youthful austerity. A splendid showing, but lay it down.

(from grapes at an altitude of 1,800 feet): Bright yellow. Precise, high-pitched aromas of spring flowers, powdered stone and menthol suggest Puligny-Montrachet. Juicy, dry and stony in the mouth, with insidious cut and intensity to the tightly coiled flavors of white peach and citrus fruits. Not an opulent style of chardonnay but saturates the palate with dusty stone on the vibrant aftertaste. Very classy California chardonnay.

A wonderful, rewarding blend that has enough blackberry, cassis and smoky oak flavors to satisfy hedonists, yet also shows the acid-tannic structure to develop bottle complexity over the years. Drink this flashy wine now and through 2018.

A big, oaky Chardonnay, obviously rich and dense, but somewhat immature. Yet there's lots going on under the dryness, lees and wood tannins. Huge flavors of citrus and tropical fruits, minerals and flowers. Flashy, a crowd-pleaser.

This dramatically constructed Pinot wants time in the cellar. It's dry, full-bodied and tannic, with bigtime cherry, black raspberry, teriyaki beef and black pepper flavors, compounded with rich, smoky oak. The acidity is so acute, it will easily shepherd this wine through 5-7 years of bottle aging.

Rich and unctuous, with a viscous, glyceriney texture holding deep, opulent flavors of pineapples, lime custard, clover honey, Mandarin orange and cinnamon spice. Lees treatment brings a creamy, slightly sourdough tang. Good price for a Chardonnay of this quality.

Bright ruby-red. Complex, high-pitched aromas of raspberry, licorice, potpourri and gingerbread, lifted by an exotic bergamot topnote. Sweet, broad and generous, conveying a strong impression of spiciness and deep red berry and rose pastille flavors. Distinctly elegant and precise pinot with a sweet, floral, spicy finish that hangs on tenaciously.

Bright gold. Pungent aromas of citrus pith, pear and flowers, plus a suggestion of smoky lees. Penetrating, minerally and uncompromisingly dry, offering intense orchard fruit and bitter citrus flavors that gain sweetness with air. An elegant, nervy and tactile wine that should age gracefully. Finishes chewy and very ling, repeating the floral note.

(15.1% alcohol; 100% cabernet sauvignon; aged in 82% French and 18% American oak, 95% new): Bright saturated ruby. Aromas of blackberry syrup, mocha and licorice. Thick and powerful but with a light touch to its fine-grained flavors of black fruits, licorice and espresso. Combines sweetness and density of fruit with outstanding energy. A wine of great purity and refinement. Finishes long and strong, with tannins saturating the entire palate.

Good deep ruby. Crushed blackberry, graphite and licorice on the nose. Lush and seamless in the mouth, but with no easy sweetness to the chewy flavors of black fruits and minerals. The least sweet of these Stonestreet reds but this offers impressive mouth coverage. Finishes with substantial dense tannins that call for at least seven or eight years of cellaring.

(from vines at 1,800 feet): Bright straw-yellow. Nuanced nose offers peach, apricot, lime and anise. Supple and gently fruity, with a glycerol quality leavened by bright acidity. Became silkier with air but without losing its edge of acidity. This highly concentrated and very long chardonnay needs some time in bottle to harmonize its sweet and acid components.

Ruby-red. High-pitched aromas of black raspberry, licorice, bitter chocolate, violet and menthol. Silky on entry, then dry and classic in the middle, with kirsch and dark berry flavors lifted by violet and licorice. Really spreads out and builds on the back. Powerful without being brawny or unrefined, this very young cabernet avoids the hard tannins that characterize so many Spring Mountain reds.

...lurking deep below the surface is a vast underground landscape of blackberry fruit, cassis, plums, olives, herbs and oak. Fascinating and intricate and a little heady, but undrinkable now due to immaturity. Needs 5-6 years to show its stuff.

It shows a massive core of blackberries, currants, dark baker's chocolate and smoky oak, and the balance of acidity makes it clean and bright. All indications are of a cellarworthy wine. Drink 2014 and beyond.

Inky ruby. Sexy aromas of cherry-cola, cassis, cocoa powder and vanilla Round, dense and palate-staining, with a firm backbone to the sweet, chewy flavors of dark berry preserves, bitter cherry, menthol and minerals. The deep, spicy dark fruit qualities carry through the very long, assertive finish, which features suave, integrated tannins and a hint of candied flowers. This unfined and unfiltered wine spent 30 months in barrels, most of them French.

It's very rich in blackberries, smoked meat and charred wood, with a finish that's fine, long and sweet in ripe fruits. Should blossom after 2014 and hold for a number of years.