Ruby-red. Complex aromas of blackcurrant, plum, dark chocolate and minerals. Silky on entry, then broad, young and nuanced in the middle, with moderately dense, energetic flavors of black cherry, cassis and menthol. Finishes with a broad dusting of tannins and lovely lingering fruit. This is mostly from a blend of mountain properties owned by Jackson Family Farms, with Mt. Veeder fruit used as a natural acidification.

Very rich, very complicated, a young dense, grapey wine that clearly needs time to come around. Dry and balanced in acids and tannins, it shows brilliantly ripe blackberry, black cherry and cola flavors, with an earthy note the Brits used to call beetroot. Give it until after 2009 to begin to mellow.

A lovely, complex Pinot that shows much of the flair of Byron's more expensive bottlings. The wine is dry and crisp and elegant, with long, deep flavors of currants, cola, sweet leather and dusty Asian spices. Good now, and will develop for at least six years.

A beautiful wine, crisp and elegant, filled with varietal complexity. Oak-inspired butterscotch and vanilla custard accent ripe fruit flavors of grilled pineapples and ripe kiwi, with a long, spicy finish. Beautiful now for a year or two.

Good full ruby. Vibrant nose offers cassis, black cherry and violet. Densely packed, rich and sweet, but more brooding, even medicinal, and showing less early definition than the Helena Dakota. Perhaps best today on the hugely tannic but very long and subtly rising finish. This big boy is stuffed with cassis and soil flavors.

Bright ruby. Complex, ripe nose melds cassis, iron, bitter chocolate, mocha, tobacco and gravel. Lush and intense, with an impression of almost peppery energy to the blueberry and mineral flavors. Generous but not thick, and not at all a sweet style. This has a relatively low pH of 3.45. Finishes juicy, long and quite suave, with an even dusting of tannins. A very successful wine.

Deep red. Seductive aromas of black raspberry, patchouli, dried rose and minerals. Graceful red and dark berry flavors are strikingly pure, with candied floral and mineral qualities adding complexity. Finishes with excellent clarity and lingering floral and spice notes.

Medium red. Exotically perfumed bouquet of black raspberry, cherry compote, smoked meat and incense. Fresh, spicy red and dark berry flavors complemented by a sexy rose pastille quality. Sweeter on the finish, leaving behind suave black and blue fruits and a hint of blood orange.

Bright red. Seductive perfume of strawberry, raspberry, dried rose and incense. Fleshy, finely etched red berry preserve flavors are given spine by a tangy mineral quality and gain weight with air. Clean, juicy and precise, with a sexy black raspberry liqueur note dominating the finish. This is delicious right now.

Bright gold. Powerful scents of papaya, pear skin and tangerine, with a strong mineral underpinning. Sharply focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors pack a serious punch and gain a smoky mineral and floral character with air that repeats on the lingering finish. This is the most vibrant of this set of chardonnays.

Inky ruby. Lively aromas of raspberry, cherry skin, lavender and minerals. Nervy, finely etched red fruit flavors gain sweetness and depth with air and pick up a bitter licorice quality. Suave, silky and pure, with enticing finishing clarity and spiciness.

Good full ruby. Captivating aromas of cassis, minerals, spices and cocoa powder. Dense, round, sweet and deep; more tactile than the Dakota but also shows terrific energy today (the pH here is lower than that of the Dakota: 3.67 vs. 3.8). Very broad cabernet with a restrained sweetness to its dark berry flavors. Finishes very long, with superb spine. The tannins here seem more harmonious than those of the 2006, suggesting that this vintage possesses even more buffering extract.

Bright red. Cherry-cola, raspberry and vanilla bean on the nose. Smoky dark berry flavors are enlivened by zesty minerals and pick up a candied floral quality with air. This packs a lot of flavor, but needs time to stretch out. Becomes deeper and chewier with air and finishes with solid grip and powerful thrust.

Inky ruby. Deep, smoky aromas of dark berry preserves, tobacco and violet, with a suave mineral underpinning. Fleshy blackberry and blueberry flavors are energized by building Asian spice and cracked pepper qualities. Finishes on a long, sweet note of candied dark berries, with excellent clarity. Very nicely balanced syrah.

We fully admit to being unaccustomed to finding anything like polish in a wine of this size and ripeness, but both polish and balance are the hallmarks of this deeply filled wine. It leads with intense aromas of blackberries, sweet smoke and cream, and it follows up on that promise with rich, well-composed flavors of empathetic fruit. It is firmed by a nice trim of tannins and shows little in the way if intrusive heat despite its 15.8% alcohol. It is withal a fairly serious wine, and it seems certain to improve for another three to five years.

Glass-staining ruby. An impressively complex bouquet displays blackcurrant, kirsch, lavender and smoked meat. Deep, chewy red and dark fruit flavors are given spine by zesty minerals and grip by dusty tannins. Becomes deeper and sweeter with air, finishing with a strong kick of candied licorice. This is built to age.

Greenish yellow color. Fresh, leesy pear and orange aromas are complicated by smoky minerals and white flowers. Initially restrained but opens with aeration to offer deep pear and apple flavors and a slow-building roasted nut quality. The mineral notes repeat strongly on the finish, which is spicy, focused and quite long. This will repay a few more years of bottle aging.

Bright red-ruby. Vinous, claret-like aromas of redcurrant, tobacco and menthol. Sweet, juicy and aromatic in the mouth, with a pliant texture for Diamond Mountain cabernet and lovely floral lift. In a rather round style, and offering considerable early appeal. Finishes with supple, building tannins and very good lingering sweetness of fruit.

Taylor Peak is 100 percent Bennett Valley grown fruit that spends 17 months in French oak, of which 37 percent is new. Look for cool black fruit and blueberries with bits of tobacco, spice, compost chocolate and licorice. Impressive styling that focuses on mountain fruit giving it power but with Bordeaux Right Bank-like finesse. You can easily drink this merlot, for a decade. Well done and fine value.

Bright gold. Potent orchard fruit and floral scents are complemented by smoky lees and sweet butter. Finely etched pear and guava flavors coat the palate, taking on a spicy quality on the back end. Blends richness and energy deftly and finishes with excellent clarity and length. There are 790 cases of this wine, which is made from a selection of barrels.

Ruby-red. Black raspberry, smoked meat and flowers on the nose. Graceful red and dark berry flavors stain the palate without conveying any excess weight. Extremely fresh and focused zinfandel with excellent finishing clarity and spiciness. There's a pinot-like quality to this wine that's very appealing.

Medium ruby. Black fruits, licorice, menthol and a slightly syrupy note on the somewhat medicinal nose. Quite tight and tannic today, and not yet as pliant as the 2006. In a tough stage, displaying solid underlying minerality but currently hiding its fruit sweetness.

Deep ruby. Intensely perfumed nose offers redcurrant, cherry and tobacco, with a suave floral quality adding complexity. Deep, chewy red and dark berry flavors are framed by velvety tannins and pick up a sweet tobacco note on the back end. Youthfully tangy on the finish, with the cherry and tobacco notes repeating. This needs some cellar time.

Good deep red-ruby. Black cherry, dark berries, minerals, cola and sexy oak on the nose; became more perfumed with aeration. Sweet and fine-grained, but with solid underlying spine to its dark fruit, spice and cola flavors. Thanks to its impression of lushness without weight, this is the most refined wine yet from this property.

Vivid red. Exotic aromas of red and dark berries, olive, anise and violet; the syrah element is really pronounced today. Deep, sappy blackberry and cassis flavors are very supple and show no tannins. A smoky mineral note creeps up on the finish, which is long, sweet and well-focused. I like this wine's clarity and balance.