Bright ruby-red. Very ripe aromas of blackcurrant, black raspberry, coffee and graphite. Big, rich, minerally and classically dry, with a firm edge of acidity giving it uncommon spine for a wine with nearly 90% merlot. This exploded with minerality as it opened in the glass. Finishes rich, deep and long, with some new oak showing.

Deep red. Seductively perfumed bouquet of red berry preserves, five-spice powder and flowers. Juicy raspberry and cherry flavors are framed by silky tannins and gain weight with aeration. Richer black raspberry and kirsch qualities dominate the long, seductively sweet finish. Offers an impressive blend of power and vivacity.

Glass-staining ruby. Exotically perfumed nose evokes blackcurrant, violet, dried rose, iron and apricot pit. Stains the palate with sweet dark berry preserve flavors, picking up licorice, smoky minerals and candied flowers with air. This reminded me of a ripe vintage of Mouton-Rothschild! The finish echoes the sweet dark berry and floral notes and refuses to let up. This sexy wine is drinking well right now. These vines are reportedly 93 years old. (JR)

Saturated ruby. Mineral-driven aromas of crushed cassis, licorice and graphite. Much more backward than the Muse, and a bit angular and monolithic in comparison. But this brooding young cabernet-based blend also boasts terrific intensity to its crushed black fruit, licorice and violet flavors. Finishes with serious tannic clout.

(14.8% alcohol) Saturated bright ruby. Aromas of cassis, violet, licorice and menthol, plus a whiff of cocoa powder. Sweet and chewy but with lovely aromatic lift to the black fruit, brown spice and floral flavors. At once structured and silky, powerful and stylish. Finishes with firm tannins and noteworthy verve. From a vineyard planted at an elevation of 750 feet. The gravelly silt and loam soil here is a bit less firm than the sandy gravelly loam (volcanic ash) used to make the Helena Montana wine.

Saturated deep ruby. Crushed black fruits and minerals on the lively nose. The densest and richest of these 2006s, with a compelling sweetness to its extremely primary dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors. Not yet complex but has terrific stuffing to support its big, chewy, broad tannins. Lay this one down.

Bright red. Exotic red and dark berry compote, cherry-cola and potpourri aromas are complicated by smoky minerals and herbs. Fleshy, seductively sweet raspberry and candied cherry flavors are strikingly pure and concentrated, with silky tannins adding support. Gains weight with air and finishes with excellent clarity and persistence. Put this one away for a couple of years, at least.

Deep red. Brooding aromas of cherry pit, licorice, dried rose and dark chocolate. Powerful, palate-coating dark fruit flavors slowly unfold to display sexy baking spices and flowers. The licorice note repeats strongly on the finish, which hangs on with great tenacity. I'd give this some time in the decanter or cellar.

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.