The 2001 La Muse (85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec; 500 cases) possesses a dense purple color as well as a big, sweet bouquet of chocolate-infused blackberries and cherries intermixed with hints of smoke, earth, an truffles. Full-bodied, with great intensity, tremendous purity, sweet, well-integrated tannin, and a long, blockbuster finish that lasts for 40+ seconds. It offers both power and finesse, a rarity in the super-charged world of big California reds. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020+.

The 2001 Chardonnay Laura's offers a stunning array of tropical fruits along with hints of butterscotch, orange marmalade, and spring flowers. Full, rich, and extremely pure, with a multilayered texture, this is another brilliant Chardonnay that showcases Mike Sullivan's winemaking talents.

There are generally 2,000-3,000 cases produced of this Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, one of the flagship offerings in the Jackson Family Farm umbrella. The 2001 Cardinale allies power with elegance, exhibiting a sweet nose of black fruits, pain grille, espresso roast, and toasty oak. Rich, full-bodied, opulent, and surprisingly forward, it possesses copious quantities of fruit and glycerin in addition to a heady, voluptuous finish that lasts for 45+ seconds. Most Cardinales tend to be more tannic and closed at such a young age. Anticipated maturity: now-2016.

One of the finest efforts I have tasted from Stonestreet is the 2001 Legacy, a 1,400-case blend 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. It boasts an opaque purple color in addition to a gorgeously intense bouquet of melted licorice, smoky barbeque aromas, black currant liqueur, road tar, and high class French oak. Sweet and expansive, with full-bodied flavors, and tremendous texture as well as depth, the wine's elevated tannin in the finish is largely buries under the extravagant richness and wealth of extract and glycerin. This is a beauty! Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020.

A California version of Chevalier-Montrachet, it is fashioned from an old Wente clone. Boasting an incredible earthy, liquid minerality intermixed with subtle lemon oil, pear, and white peach characteristics, this full-bodied Chardonnay possesses good acidity and a restrained personality. It is bursting at the seams with intensity as well as power. This stunning offering should age well for 5-6 years, possibly longer. Sadly, only 347 cases were produced.

Inky black in color and densely rich on the palate. This is one of the five fine Zins from this winery-plush, silky, sexy and complex, with a broad array of black cherry, plum, cola, coffee, chocolate, spice, and herb flavors. Velvety smooth and long on the finish.

There are generally 2,000-3,000 cases produced of this Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, one of the flagship offerings in the Jackson Family Farms umbrella. The black/purple-colored 2002 Cardinale boasts a sweet perfume of vanilla, blackberry and currant fruit, roasted herbs, licorice, and Asian spices. Full-bodied and chewy, with considerable power, low acidity, and tremendous ripeness, this big, thick, juicy 2002 should hit its prime in 5-6 years, and last for two decades.

The cool-climate 2001 Chardonnay Seascape, from a vineyard not harvested until November, exhibits high acidity along with a liquid flint-like bouquet offering notes of honeyed grapefruit, nectarines, and a striking minerality, This lustrous, singular style of Chardonnay has more in common with a grand crus Chablis than most California Chardonnays. It should provide immense pleasure over the next 4-6 years.

A selection of the best estate barrels, this year's Rae's is considerably richer than the Julia's bottling. Cherry, espresso and herb flavors are framed in voluptuously soft tannins, with a rich mouthfeel and a distinctive silky texture. Has the stuffing and style to elevate it into the realm of excellence.

Readers with both patients and youth on their side will enjoy the huge, massive, excruciatingly tannic 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard. Although high, the tannin is not excessive because the fruit is so intense and rich. An inky/purple color is followed by notes of creosote, lead pencil shavings, and huge, full-bodied, blackberry as well as blackcurrant fruit with an underlying notion of crushed rocks. Clearly made from mountain fruit (Jess Jackson's Alexander Valley Mountain Estate, from which this offering emerges, is a windy, cold vineyard planted at 2,400 feet elevation), but 7-10 years of cellaring is required. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025+.

The 2001 Pinot Noir Arrendel Vineyard possesses sweet raspberry liqueur-like aromas intermixed with notions of beef root, oak, and damp earth. Rich and medium-bodied with tart acidity as well as a firm, moderately tannic finish, there is a lot going on in this limited production 310-case offering. Cellar it for 12-18 months and enjoy it over the following 7-8 years.

More interesting is the 2001 Chardonnay Upper Barn, which boasts glorious notes of honeysuckle, ripe pear, pineapple, and peach-like fruit as well as good underlying acidity in a medium to full bodied, intense, luscious format. It will drink well for 3-4 years.

A blend of Santa Barbara, Monterey and Sonoma in true K-J style, and very good in a generic sort of way. What it lacks in terroir it makes up for in flamboyantly ripe fruit. Impresses for its lush, creamy texture, layers of smoky oak and long spicy finish.

The intense 2001 Pinot Noir Marin Vineyard offers aromas of rose petals intermixed with smoke, pomegranate, and cherries in a medium-bodied, mocha-infused personality. There is excellent richness, good underlying acidity, and a firm, moderately tannic finish. Drink it over the next 5-8 years. Given real estate prices in Marin County, I suspect this may be one of the most expensive vineyard sites in that chic San Francisco suburb.

The 2001 Pinot Noir Monterey is a limited cuvee of 226 cases... it possesses a Morey-St.-Denis like bouquet of forest floor, strawberry, cherry, plum, and fig aromas. This medium-bodied, elegant, subtle but intensely flavorful Pinot Noir will drink well for 5-7 years. There are no hard edges to this youthful 2001.

...a beautiful bouquet of popcorn intermixed with orange rind, lemon oils, honeysuckle, and crushed rocks. Excellent texture, medium to full body, terrific acidity, and a long finish characterize this high class Chardonnay. Enjoy it over the next 3-4 years.

The very good 17,500-case 2002 Chardonnay displays elegant notes of lemon zest, orange marmalade, subtle wood, and a hint of butter in its attractive, well-delineated style. It should drink well for 2-3 years.

Very ripe in tone throughout and deep enough black cherry fruit to win the day, this wine boasts a nice dollop of sweet oak and a background note of herbs in its overall attractive mix of elements. It is a bit ragged at the finish, but it can serve well now and over the ensuing three to six years with well-seasoned hunks of red meat.

Tropical fruit flavors (particularly papaya) make the wine bright and crisp on the palate. Those same acids prevail over efforts to soften, including barrel and malolactic fermentation and lees aging, so that the wine maintains a steely, hard backbone. It is not lush, but it is intense.

The 2001 Pinot Noir Sevens Bench Vineyard offers aromas of sweet apple skins and raspberries in its elegant, mid-weight, attractive personality. Still tightly wound, it requires 1-2 years of cellaring; it should last for 5-6 years.

Quiet yet substantial, this is full of dark cassis flavor, clean and fresh. It's plush in the mouth and ends softly padded, with a pleasing perfume of blue and purple fruit, ready for prime rib.

Richer and more interesting is the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon. This dense ruby/purple-colored offering's bouquet includes scents of smoke, melted licorice, chocolate, espresso, black currants, and plums. Medium-bodied, with excellent depth and moderate tannin, it needs 2-3 years of cellaring, and should last for 15.

The 2001 Sauvignon Blanc Upper Barn reveals aromas of figs and melons along with crisp, tart acidity in a pungent, medium-bodied style. Drink it over the next year.

Ripe black cherry fruit is matched in intensity by mineral, loamy notes in the nose and flavors of this somewhat gruff Cabernet, and while the fruit holds up well against the pushy tannins, it is a bit dried out by the astringency of the finish. The wine might need a decade of patient cellaring to age out, but we suggest drinking it up in half that time rather than risking that is fruit begin to drop out.

More sassafras characteristics along with sweeter fruit and underlying acidity are found in the 2002 Pinot Noir Seascape. There appears to be more to this vintage, but the wine was closed and unevolved when I tasted it.