Plummy and juicy with dense tannins and rich structure; complex and lifted, built to age for decades; 90% Merlot, 5% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc.

From the beginning of their careers as vintners, Jess Jackson and his wife, Barbara Banke, understood that great wines are all about place. Having made the momentous decision in the early 1980s to give up their San Francisco law practices to pursue their dream of making wine, the couple searched the length of California for the very best Chardonnay vineyards they could find, and blended the resulting wines to create the award-winning Kendall-Jackson 1982 Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay. In the course of acquiring and developing properties, Banke and Jackson identified several small mountainside vineyards, whose exceptional and distinctive fruit furnished the inspiration for an exclusive label, Lokoya, which produces only 100-percent mountain-grown, single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. In the Lokoya 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder, winemaker Chris Carpenter has crafted one of the vintage's true treasures: a balanced, luxurious, stunningly textured composition of succulent blackberry, fragrant violets, roasted coffee, and cool, earthy minerality.

(50% cabernet franc, 39% merlot, 9% cabernet sauvignon and 2% malbec) Good medium ruby. Cherry, minerals and caramelized meat on the nose. Wonderfully lush, suave and fine-grained, with captivating flavors of dark berries, black cherry, gravel and lilac. Finishes with extremely fine tannins, superb grip and outstanding subtle persistence. This reminded me of a ripe vintage of Cheval Blanc.

Good medium ruby. Cherry, minerals and caramelized meat on the nose. Wonderfully lush, suave and fine-grained, with captivating flavors of dark berries, black cherry, gravel and lilac. Finishes with extremely fine tannins, superb grip and outstanding subtle persistence. This reminded me of a ripe vintage of Cheval Blanc.

From up on Mount Veeder comes this lush, dramatically complex Cabernet Sauvignon. It's really fine, with ripe, intricately layered tannins that give the wine a texture of dramatic importance, and luscious Cabernet flavors that change from sip to sip. Blackberries, currants, cherries, cedar, it's all there in this 100% varietal wine, a very great expression of Napa mountain Cab, and an ager as well.

(67% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 12% cabernet franc, 7% petit verdot and 2% malbec) Good bright ruby. Black cherry, minerals, musky Cuban tobacco and leather on the nose and palate, lifted by a minty nuance. Lush on entry, then concentrated, sweet and penetrating, with superb focus and sap to the middle palate. Wonderfully expressive even if still youthfully unevolved. Finishes with full but ripe tannins and a compelling combination of sweetness and energy.

Good bright ruby. Black cherry, minerals, musky Cuban tobacco and leather on the nose and palate, lifted by a minty nuance. Lush on entry, then concentrated, sweet and penetrating, with superb focus and sap to the middle palate. Wonderfully expressive even if still youthfully unevolved. Finishes with full but ripe tannins and a compelling combination of sweetness and energy.

Stature is K-J's top Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend, and can come from any of the winery's vineyards. The '03 hails from Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder and Knights Valley. The wine is immaculate and impeccable, with impressive black currant, cedar, pencil lead and smoky vanilla aromas and flavors that finish with a great deal of complexity and interest. So balanced, so lush, it just dazzles.

Good full ruby. Medicinal cassis, licorice, minerals and graphite on the nose; I would have placed this in St. Julien or Pauillac. Then large-scaled and sweet but with terrific grip and sappiness for a wine so plush. A real fruit bomb today, with outstanding depth and concentration of black cherry and dark berry flavors. Finishes with noble tannins and terrific peppery lift. As I tasted this wine, it crossed my mind once again that Pierre Seillan's top efforts under the Verite label are as good as just about any of California's cult wines-at about half the price.

Bright ruby-red. Perfumed aromas of cherry, coffee, red licorice and minerals. Suave and vibrant, with lovely lift and musky complexity to the juicy red fruit and mineral flavors. Powerful and deep but with superb elegance. Finishes youthfully tight and very long. A baby today. These 2005s were bottled in November of 2007.

(87.5% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 2.5% malbec) Bright ruby-red. Perfumed aromas of cherry, coffee, red licorice and minerals. Suave and vibrant, with lovely lift and musky complexity to the juicy red fruit and mineral flavors. Powerful and deep but with superb elegance. Finishes youthfully tight and very long. A baby today. These 2005s were bottled in November of 2007.

An extraordinarily rich, complex and satisfying Syrah. It's massive in blackberry, pepper, cola, spice and smoky oak flavors. Yet for all the size, it never loses its sense of balance and elegance. This low production wine comes from the Los Alamos region of Santa Barbara, a likely future appellation in its own right.

Good full ruby. Black fruit aromas lifted by violet, pepper and fresh herbs. At once thick and weightless, with a high-toned quality and pungent minerality to the impressively concentrated medicinal blackberry and licorice flavors. This wonderfully silky blend finishes with tactile, broad tannins, compelling sweetness, and superb lingering black fruit perfume. This one will do some major damage in a tasting of top St. Emilion wines a decade hence.

Bright red. Strongly perfumed nose offers a sexy set of red and dark berry aromas, along with cinnamon, mace and dried rose. Juicy, sharply focused raspberry and blackberry flavors display impressive depth and vivacity. Silky tannins add support to the long, sappy finish. A drop-dead gorgeous pinot that's drinking wonderfully right now.

Bright, full ruby. Pungent, slightly raw aromas of black cherry, minerals, menthol, licorice and nutty oak. Then fat and sweet but closed; unusually backward for young merlot. Best today on the sweet, perfumed back end, which features building, tooth-dusting tannins.

Good full ruby-red. Musky aromas of dark cherry, coffee, tobacco and loam. Sweet, lush and fine-grained, with lovely elegance and life to the flavors of cherry and coffee. Harmonious acidity really extends and lifts the fruit on the back end, which features very suave tannins and outstanding persistence. This goes a step beyond the very good 2004. Jess Jackson notes that this site, on volcanic ash soil, ripens a full two weeks earlier than the Helena Dakota, which is planted on soil rich in iron and clay.

Good medium ruby. High-pitched aromas and flavors of black cherry, licorice and chocolate mint. Generous and tactile, with noteworthy energy and minerality and a restrained sweetness in the middle palate. This is uncommonly suave for a wine from mountain fruit. Finishes broad and long, with substantial fine, well-integrated tannins and excellent life and lift.

Bright ruby-red. Vinous aromas of cassis, minerals, licorice, tobacco and peppermint. Suave and complex on the palate, with a creamy texture but also excellent verve to the flavors of redcurrant, minerals and loam. Firmly structured cabernet, finishing with ripe, harmonious tannins and subtle persistence. A classy example of Diamond Mountain cabernet.

Deep red. Sexy, explosively perfumed bouquet of raspberry, cherry, sandalwood incense, cinnamon and mace; smells like a head shop. Tangy red berry flavors gain sweetness with air, picking up deeper cherry and bitter chocolate flavors while maintaining precision. Extremely elegant and pure, with a silky texture and a long, spicy finish.

Deep red-ruby color. Smoky cherry-cola, raspberry and baking spices on the alluring nose. Intensely spicy red fruits stain the palate but are almost shockingly lithe, offering excellent mineral snap and lift. Finishes with outstanding persistence, leaving a strong impression of sweet red berries behind. This is delicious.

Light gold. Leesy pear and yellow plum aromas display a waxy, minerally character that reminded me of a Loire Valley chenin blanc. Ripe orchard fruit and citrus flavors are firmed by juicy acidity, which adds refreshing bite and clarity. Nervy lime and pink grapefruit flavors build on the long, spicy finish, which echoes the waxy note. Lots of flavor and power here, but the impression it leaves is of elegance rather than weight.

Hazy yellow-gold. Smoky, leesy orange and pear aromas give way to white peach and floral honey with air, but maintain energy. Rich and chewy, with deep orchard and pit fruit flavors braced by zesty orange and lime qualities that carry through the long, powerful finish. Plenty open today but there's enough material here to reward cellaring.

100% cabernet sauvignon, from six-year-old vines on very thin mountainside soil) Deep red-ruby. Pungent aromas of black fruits, licorice, tar and menthol suggest a rocky minerality. Dense, thick and minerally, but with a very light touch. Strong minerality and bright acidity give shape to the medicinal black cherry flavor. Finishes long, juicy and aromatic, with insidious building tannins coating the front teeth.

(82% cabernet sauvignon, 9% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot) Good full medium ruby. Claret-like aromas and flavors of nutty red fruits, licorice, herbs and graphite, with a light floral element. Round, lush and sweet, in a pliant, forward style. But nicely juicy owing to a firm edge of minerally acidity. The broad finish features substantial dusty tannins that reach the teeth. This offers considerable early appeal.

Deep red with a bright rim. Intensely aromatic bouquet shows red berries, cherry jam, Indian spices and smoky minerals. Deep and juicy, with pliant, medium-bodied red berry flavors, silky texture and a strong jolt of red licorice on the close. Tannins slowly build on the long, sappy finish, but don't detract from the pure, sweet red fruit. The spiciness of this wine is compelling.