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.

Dark red. Deep cherry and dark berry aromas show rooty, cola and herbal qualities reminiscent of a wine from Morey-Saint-Denis. Suave bitter cherry and blackcurrant flavors are framed and enlivened by juicy acidity. Fleshes out on the finish, with the cherry and cola qualities repeating. This is the most backward of this impressive set of pinots.

Dark red. Deep cherry and dark berry aromas show rooty, cola and herbal qualities reminiscent of a wine from Morey-Saint-Denis. Suave bitter cherry and blackcurrant flavors are framed and enlivened by juicy acidity. Fleshes out on the finish, with the cherry and cola qualities repeating. This is the most backward of this impressive set of pinots.

Good red-ruby. Musky aromas of currant, iron, leather and smoke. Lush, fat and nuanced, with noteworthy purity and depth to its flavors of black cherry, game, spices, mint and earth. Very full and round but not at all sweet or easy. Compared to the Helena Montana, this shows a tad less energy and finishes with more obvious though fine tannins.

(100% cabernet sauvignon, planted at an altitude of 2,400 feet) Full ruby-red. Dark berries, graphite, cedar and spicy herbs on the nose. Sweeter and lusher than the regular Alexander Valley bottling, with complex flavors of currant, melted chocolate and flowers. Here the acids are more harmonious, framing and extending the flavors through a broadly tannic finish. Even in 2005, the crop level at this altitude did not exceed 2.5 tons per acre, according to winemaker Graham Weerts.

Light gold. Fresh lime and orange on the nose, along with honeysuckle and dusty minerals. Bright and juicy, with suave citrus and honey flavors underscored by tangy lemon zest and quinine. Refreshing, sharply focused and strikingly pure, with excellent finishing lift and cut.

Glass-staining purple. Powerful blackberry and cassis aromas are complicated by incense, Asian spices and lavender. Deep, sappy and sweet, offering pure dark berry preserve flavors, terrific mineral lift and fine-grained tannins. Impressively balances richness against elegance, with outstanding finishing thrust and lingering dark fruits.

Bright gold. Ripe apricot, peach nectar and floral honey aromas are brightened by zesty minerals. Round and juicy, with sweet pit fruit and melon flavors, creamy texture and building spiciness. Impressively juicy for a wine with such depth and sweetness, finishing sappy and long, with very good clarity.

Good full ruby. Spicy aromas of currant, brown spices, lavender and tobacco, along with a whiff of dill. Sweet and creamy yet at the same time penetrating, with a juicy quality to the currant and tobacco flavors. Boasts an attractive tangy intensity and finishes with rather suave tannins for a Howell Mountain wine.

Deep ruby. Fresh red and dark berry aromas, complicated by smoked meat, tobacco and fresh flowers. Surprisingly tangy on the palate, displaying intense, medium-bodied raspberry and blackcurrant fruit. Dusty tannins build with air, adding firmness to the long, intensely spicy finish.

Opaque purple color. Flamboyantly aromatic bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, licorice, sandalwood and fresh flowers. Deep, sweet and velvety, offering dense black and blue fruit flavors, soft tannins and building spiciness. Finishes with surprising vivacity and impressive persistence. This is already delicious.

Good bright ruby. Precise aromas of blackberry, currant, minerals and licorice pastille. Juicy, intensely flavored and tightly wound, with lovely spicy high notes and firm minerality lifting the berry fruit. Not shortage of power here. Tannins are substantial but broad and fine-grained. Finishes with lovely length and lift.

13.2% alcohol following a bit of saignee Good bright ruby. Precise aromas of blackberry, currant, minerals and licorice pastille. Juicy, intensely flavored and tightly wound, with lovely spicy high notes and firm minerality lifting the berry fruit. No shortage of power here. Tannins are substantial but broad and fine-grained. Finishes with lovely length and lift.

Good ruby-red. Dark berries, bitter chocolate, violet, spices and a whiff of coffee on the nose. Dense and supple, with good fat for 2006 but also noteworthy detail and inner-mouth energy. The deep dark fruit flavors are complicated by a cedary nuance. Finishes with broad, ripe tannins and very good grip.

Deep ruby-red. Musky, very ripe aromas of roasted dark fruits, beefsteak tomato and maple syrup. Then almost surprisingly bright in the middle (this actually has a relatively low pH of 3.55 and high total acidity), with powerful chocolatey fruit and a strong tannic backbone. In fact, today the wine's big, sandy tannins cut off the fruit. Winemaker Seillan predicts that this extremely young wine will age for 50 years; it will certainly require six or eight of them to become more approachable. But subsequent vintages are more suave.

Inky purple color. Dark cherry, chocolate and woodsmoke on the nose, along with dried flowers and underbrush. Sappy dark fruit flavors offer good palate coverage, with no rough edges or excess weight. A muscular, somewhat firm style, in need of some time to stretch out.

Deep ruby. Very smoky aromas of cherry, blueberry and grilled meat; smells like syrah. Pliant dark fruit flavors are supported by juicy acidity and framed by supple tannins. Picks up a spicy quality on the long, zesty finish. Very fresh and easy to drink now.

Good deep ruby-red. Black fruits, mocha, dark chocolate and licorice on the nose. Sweet, lush and full for the vintages, with fruit-driven flavors of currant and blackberry enlivened by minerality. Tannins are suave for the year. This has turned out well.