Smooth and bright with juicy citrus and suave, oak-influenced flavors; long, balanced and lively with depth, finesse and excellent length; year after year a remarkable achievement.

Sporting lots and lots of keenly defined fruit and winning the nod for very fine balance, this solid, firmly structured young Zin is redolent of ripe berries, sweet oak and shows a nice touch of accenting oak. While it is just tannic enough to commend a few years of keeping, and that is what we recommend, it is never so stern or astringent as to prevent earlier enjoyment with juicy cuts of roasted pork.

Big, broad and gutsy with a wealth of very ripe, well-extracted, dark-berry fruit, this powerful wine is at once fairly thick on the palate and comes with a fair streak of finishing heat. That said, it is so rich that it manages to make the style work, but it carries the warning that it will in all likelihood overwhelm all but the most flavorful foods.

This bright white gold colored Viognier opens with a mild ripe Bartlett pear bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, and easy going. The flavor profile is a blend of mild Anjou pear and gentle apricot with just a touch of oak. The finish is dry and its flavors linger nicely. This wine is food friendly and it would pair well with wild mushroom and chicken ravioli in a thick cream sauce. Enjoy.

Pinot Noir, mourvedre and grenache join the syrah in this motley but juicy blend from three California counties. Earthy, ripe black berry grapes and soft mouthfeel.

Another blockbuster, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder, which has the largest production, exhibits a deep blue/purple color along with notes of burning embers, charcoal, sweet black currant liqueur, licorice and scorched earth. It possesses fabulous fruit along with full-bodied power, a voluptuous texture and beautiful density as well as richness. It is not far off the quality of the brilliant 2007. 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.

Over 1,000 cases of the 2008 Cardinale were made from a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Merlot. Interestingly, the To-Kalon portion is the only fruit source located on the valley floor, which is not surprising give Jess Jackson's propensity to buy, plant and source fruit from high elevation hillside and mountain sites. The 2008 exhibits a dense purple color along with sweet kirsch, unsmoked cigar tobacco, toasty oak and black currant characteristics. The wine hits the palate with a resounding opulence, full-bodied richness, moderate, sweet, well-integrated tannins and a long, heady finish. There is a floral component in the 2008 that was not noticeable in the 2007. This beautiful, full-bodied wine was aged 21 months in 100% new French oak. Slightly more evolved than the 2007, the 2008 should last for 20-25+ years. Here is a case where the 2008 is slightly superior to the 2007 (rated 94). From Jess Jackson's viticultural empire, this wine, made by Chris Carpenter, is essentially a selection of some of the best lots of grapes from six separate Napa Valley regions, including Veeder Peak, Keyes Vineyard on Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, the To-Kalon Vineyard in Oakville and the Andrew Geoffrey Vineyard.

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.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota is a slightly softer, but still structured, meaty effort with impressive levels of black cherries, black currants and a steely, crushed rock-like minerality. Like its sibling, it is full-bodied, tannic and deep, but with less of the burning ember/scorched earth character. It offers pure floral, concentrated fruit and beautiful purity, symmetry and balance. Nevertheless, it, too, will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring and should drink well over the following three decades.

The dense purple-colored, perfumed 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain offers compelling aromas of violets (or is it acacia flowers?). Full-bodied with great elegance and precision as well as dense, concentrated, powerful fruit, this intense Cabernet will age gracefully for two decades or more. 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.

The 2009 Chardonnay Howell Mountain is all from the Keyes Vineyard. It reveals a Meursault-like hazelnut character intermixed with notions of crushed rocks, white peaches and honeysuckle. This full-bodied, layered, impressive Chardonnay had its malolactic fermentation blocked, which has preserved the fruit's ripeness and vivacity. It should drink well for 3-5 years. 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.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) exhibits an unmistakable minerality with a volcanic rock/burning ember/scorched earth component to its beautifully pure black currant fruit. Full-bodied, powerful and muscular with a boatload of tannin as well as fabulous concentration, this may turn out to be one of the longest lived wines ever made from Knights Valley. Give it 3-4 more years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25 years.

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain, which comes largely from the Reverie Vineyard, is the softest of this quartet and thus will show best over the near term. It exhibits a dark ruby/purple color along with notes of berry fruit, camphor, roasted herbs and crushed rocks, an elegant, medium to full-bodied style, silky tannins and an endearing opulence as well as freshness. It should drink well for 10-15 years. 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.

Particularly impressive is the sexy, seductive 2008 Cabernet Franc. Its dark garnet/plum color is followed by sweet aromas of bay leaf, raspberries and blueberries, a medium-bodied, fleshy mouthfeel and striking minerality as well as balance. This soft, lush 2008 should drink nicely for 10-15 years. Since being acquired by Jess Jackson, La Jota Vineyard Co. has been a work in progress. The very strong 2007s have been followed by very good 2008s, so, hopefully, this well-known estate, which made some phenomenal wines in the mid-nineties, is back on track.

My favorite red wine is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard which is planted in clay and loam soils in Rutherford. It exhibits loamy, earthy soil notes intermixed with toasty oak, black currant, black cherry, Christmas fruitcake and spice box. Medium-bodied with plenty of tannin, it will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring and should last for 15+ years. 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.

A blend of different estate vineyards owned by Jess Jackson, the 2009 Chardonnay Napa is a non-malolactic effort that exhibits lots of citrus blossom, tangerine and lemon oil notes offered in a medium-bodied, steely, crisp style. The oak component is pushed way to the background in this outstanding, Chablis-like, vibrant, zesty Chardonnay. Enjoy it over the next 2-4 years. I would encourage Freemark Abbey to make more wines in this style. 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.

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Release reveals deeper fruit, a richer, fuller-bodied style and good density as well as minerality. While it will not make anyone forget the terrific Anniversary Reserve selections made in the early and mid-nineties (the equivalent of the Heritage Release cuvees), it is beginning to return to its previous glory. Since being acquired by Jess Jackson, La Jota Vineyard Co. has been a work in progress. The very strong 2007s have been followed by very good 2008s, so, hopefully, this well-known estate, which made some phenomenal wines in the mid-nineties, is back on track.

From Rutherford, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche Vineyard was somewhat closed the day I tasted it. Its dense ruby/plum color is followed by notions of loamy soil, kirsch, herbs and spice box. The wine has some light tannin to shed and lacks the profound richness, intense and depth of the top 2007 Cabernet Sauvignons, but it should evolve for 12-15 years. 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.

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.

Softer than the 2007, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is an elegant offering displaying notes of minerals, black currants, unsmoked cigar tobacco and herbs. This medium to full-bodied Cabernet is ideal for drinking over the next decade. Since being acquired by Jess Jackson, La Jota Vineyard Co. has been a work in progress. The very strong 2007s have been followed by very good 2008s, so, hopefully, this well-known estate, which made some phenomenal wines in the mid-nineties, is back on track.