Most of the grapes came from the Annapolis Vineyard, with some from Seascape. While the vintage was cool, it gave incredibly long hangtime. Dry, crisp and delicate, the wine has a silky voluptuousness that makes it irresistible, with pie-filling cherry and black raspberry flavors finished with Asian spice. New French oak adds toast and vanilla sweetness. It's expensive, but still a bargain.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 07 (50% cabernet franc, 39% merlot, 9% cabernet sauvignon and 2% malbec) Good bright medium ruby. Reticent but vibrant nose offers medicinal cassis, black cherry and licorice. Comparatively cool in the mouth, opening slowly to reveal black cherry, dark berries, licorice, spices and flowers. Extremely primary today but already fine-grained, seamless and utterly suave. This positively vibrates on the aftertaste, finishing with great subtle mounting persistence and minerality. A knockout in the making. These wines are at the level of quality of the very best Napa Valley collectibles at half the price. 95-98 points

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 07 (88% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 2% malbec) Deep red-ruby. Vinous aromas of black cherry, licorice and minerals, lifted by pungent medicinal high tones. Silky on entry, then impressively dense in the middle, with a deeply mineral character to the pure flavors of black fruits, violet, bitter chocolate and spice. Tannins are substantial but fine, and the wine's structure and freshness promise a long and slow evolution in bottle. 94-97 points

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 07 (67% cabernet sauvignon, 12% each cabernet franc and merlot, 7% petit verdot and 2% malbec) Good saturated, full ruby. Musky, perfumed aromas of black fruits, violet, licorice and minerals. Thicker on entry than the Muse but solid as a rock, boasting superb ripeness and a chewy texture. A wonderfully ripe, sweet wine with uncanny aromatic persistence. The tannins are buried in fruits and minerals. This is 14.9% alcohol, the highest of the 2004 and 2005 Verite wines, the rest of which are between 14.3% and 14.6%. 94-97 points

(65% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot) Bright ruby-red. Black and blue fruits complicated by licorice, minerals and fresh herbs on the nose. Rich, broad, lush and full, even if it conveys less easy sweetness and personality today than the Muse (but then this is Seillan's Pauillac-style blend). Best today on the sensational back half, which features a major coating of suave tannins and an extremely long, aromatic finish that reverberates with subtle floral tones. Interestingly, this cabernet-based wine has a higher pH than the merlot-based Muse: 3.78 vs. 3.64.

(84% merlot, 8% cabernet franc, 5% cabernet sauvignon and 3% malbec) Bright red-ruby. Enticing aromas of plum, licorice, iron, mocha, tobacco and sexy nutty oak. Plush, spicy and sweet, with a lovely light touch to the silky flavors. Very suave wine, finishing long and firm, with noble tannins and lively acidity. Balanced to age but already accessible. Winemaker Pierre Seillan notes that the cabernet sauvignon component is to add shoulders to the wine, while the malbec contributes a spicy element.

Deep medium ruby. Inky, brooding aromas of black fruits, tar, licorice, minerals and crushed stone. Dense but sweet, with lovely mineral depths to the slightly high-toned flavors of black raspberry and currant. This boasts terrific flavor intensity and life. Finishes very long, with the suave tannins reaching the front teeth.

Saturated ruby. Intensely aromatic nose offers powerful blackberry and boysenberry aromas and sexy spice notes. Big but harmonious tannins and gentle acidity support explosively sweet, concentrated dark berry and floral pastille flavors, which utterly fill the mouth. This very rich, velvety wine boasts an impressive display of ripe berry flavors on the long, sappy finish.

Ruby-red. Smoky and suave aromas of fresh red berries and flowers. Concentrated red and dark berry flavors are complicated by violet pastille and cocoa powder tones. A lush, pliant, persistent pinot that finishes with fine tannins and a mounting raspberry sweetness. Delicious right now.

Green-gold. Bright, mineral-accented melon and orange aromas, with a hint of white flowers. Crisp, focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors display impressive precision as well as excellent concentration. Fills in nicely on the finish, which shows refreshing mineral lift and outstanding persistence.

Bright ruby-red. Complex, brooding nose offers black plum, black raspberry, cedar, licorice, tobacco and slatey minerality; reminded me of a Medoc wine. Then sweet, dense and stylish, with nicely integrated acidity giving lift to the concentrated dark fruit and mineral flavors. Serious, seamless wine, finishing with building tannins and excellent length. The addition of some cabernet from To Kalon Vineyard helps to fill out the middle palate of this wine.

Ruby-red. Very expressive, powerful aromas of blackberry and dark cherry, brightened by elegant florality. Lush and creamy, with sweet, jammy dark berry flavors, supple tannins and a gentle lift of acidity. Picks up seductive baking spice notes with air, finishing sweet and long. This is very pretty right now.

Green-gold. Intense citrus and herb aromas, with a bright mineral accent. Pleasingly bitter flavors of quinine and lime zest show very good cut and a long, tangy finish. The energy here is really impressive.

Medium gold. Exotic, spicy bouquet shows suave blood orange, peach, tarragon and smoked meat tones. Plush, juicy and deep, with ripe tangerine and candied peach flavors, gentle acidity and a sexy, buttery quality on the back. For all its lushness, this boasts excellent energy and clarity and finishes with a subtle mineral note. This evolved nicely in the glass and should be excellent with lighter poultry dishes.

Good deep ruby-red. Cassis, plum, licorice and spices on the nose. Supple, broad and sweet, with a fine-grained texture and good density to the cassis, raspberry and dark chocolate flavors. Lush and surprisingly silky-the softest of these three 2004 bottlings-but with no shortage of inner-mouth energy. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins.

Good full ruby. Brooding aromas of dark cherry, currant, minerals and mint, plus a whiff of pungent cassis leaf. Supple and densely packed, with dark fruit flavors complemented by a mineral suggestion of gunflint. Very ripe but not at all over the top. This builds nicely on the back end, with the tannins arriving late and allowing the fruit to linger. A worthy follow-up to the excellent 2003 release.

Saturated purple. Heady, smoky dark berry aromas accented by exotic, pungent spices. Deep and chewy, with ripe, sweet boysenberry and cherry fruit flavors supported by solid tannins. Really expands on the back but retains an elegant quality, finishing with an alluring silkiness.

Good deep medium ruby. Crushed cassis, licorice, spices, minerals and a whiff of currant leaf on the complex nose. Juicy, firmly built and serious, with ripe flavors of dark berries and spices complemented by a whiff of fresh herbs. At once sweet and classically dry. This offers lovely aromatic lift on the back end, finishing with broad, toothdusting tannins and excellent subtle persistence. Interestingly, this has the highest pH of these four Anakota wines (3.84, compared to 3.63 to 3.68 for the other three), but there's no shortage of verve.

The soil here is rich in white volcanic ash. Good full ruby. Black fruits and a hint of game on the nose. Silky on entry, then more complex and less oaky in the middle palate than the Helena Dakota bottling, offering an attractive combination of ripeness and verve. But not at all overly sweet. Finishes with substantial but ripe tannins and a juicy quality that suggests this will age gracefully. According to Barbara Banke, co-owner of Jackson Wine Estates with her husband Jess Jackson, this winery used two sorting tables beginning with the 2004 harvest, and also introduced a Mistral machine that blows away damaged and dried-out grapes and bits of stalks.

Deep red. Spicy cherry and cassis aromas are a bit musclebound but slowly open to show subtle floral and iron qualities. Powerful, deeply concentrated cherry and cherry skin flavors dominate the palate. Finishes with solid tannins and a hint of espresso. This needs time.

Ruby-red. Suave and intensely aromatic, with lush cherry and cassis aromas underscored by gentle oak spice notes. Silky in texture, with sweet cherry compote and blackcurrant flavors, soft tannins and impressive power on the finish. Sweet and impressively seamless cabernet.

Light gold. Vibrant, smoky aromas of spicy pear and nectarine braced by bright mineral tones. Tangy orchard fruit flavors are impressively focused and brisk, extending through a long, spicy finish. Gains weight with air, picking up light butter and orange notes.

Hazy gold. Full-throttle peach, poached pear and sweet butter scents, with a light kiss of smoke. Lush, round and creamy, with good heft to the ripe orchard fruit flavors. Picks up a note of ripe melon with air. Very open and expressive today.

Deep ruby. Strong floral and spice notes accent cherry and raspberry liqueur, all lifted by bright minerality. Impressively energetic redcurrant and wild strawberry flavors show noteworthy elegance. Finishes on a precise red berry note, with fine tannins and very good persistence.

From rocky red clay soil. Full red-ruby. Aromas of licorice, graphite, tobacco, minerals and fresh herbs on the nose, along with some sweet oak. Then supple but slightly edgy in the mouth, with a musky quality and a slight greenness to the medicinal black cherry and currant flavors. Finishes with building, slightly gritty tannins. This boasts very good material but today the wine's 75% new oak component seems a bit overbearing.