Good deep ruby color. Youthfully austere aromas of black fruits , licorice, shoe polish and maple syrup. Dense, rich and very deep, with sappy flavors of liqueur-like black fruits. This has remarkably lush texture for a cabernet-based wine. The finishing flavors reach every nook and cranny of the palate and go on and on.

Good full ruby-red. Superripe aromas of black fruits, minerals, licorice and roast coffee, with floral, roasted and medicinal elements. Minerally, lush and sweet; dense and very long. A very long-scaled 2000, more filled in than the overwhelming majority of red wines from this vintage.

Good full ruby. Bramly blackberry, anise, bitter chocolate and mint on the nose. Very sweet and creamy; offers a much softer, more open texture than the Dina's and comes across as considerably less tannic. But this has more than enough juicy acidity and vinosity to frame its delicious fruit.

Medium ruby. Red and blackcurrant bitter chocolate and tobacco aromas lifted by floral and mineral nuances. Dense, juicy and bright, with lovely definition and intensity of flavor. Not at all a thick style of Merlot but has a terrific verve and structure. Finishes with terrific tannin/acid spine and excellent persistence.

Good to medium-deep red. Sexy oak, minerals, cola and an exotic note of sage on the nose. Silky, spicy and compellingly sweet, with liqueur-like raspberry flavor complimented by smoky oak. Given shape by firm but perfectly integrated acidity. Finishes with very fine tannins and noteworthy persistence.

Good medium ruby. Vibrant, highly aromatic nose combines blackberry, violet, white pepper, cedar and toasty oak. Juicy and firmly built, with concentrated dark berry flavors over a mineral spine. Very fresh, firmly tannic Zinfandel with lovely purity and no excess weight.

Full medium-ruby. Deep, superripe aromas of black fruits and dark chocolate. Denser and deeper than the 2000, with slightly medicinal, briary berries and minerals in the mouth. Already offers lovely inner-mouth perfume. Finishes with powerful, chewy tannins that avoid dryness and lovely persistence. Offers excellent potential.

Medium ruby. Cool, somewhat medicinal aromas of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, licorice, minerals, and fresh herbs. Bright and dense but quite closed and tannic today; very much in the style of a Northern Medoc wine. Distinctly tough now and in need of at least five or six years of patience. This was far silkier from barrel a year ago, but my early early sample contained a much higher percentage of Merlot.

Medium ruby. Cool, somewhat medicinal aromas of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, licorice, minerals and fresh herbs. Bright and dense but quite closed and tannic today; very much in the style of a Northern Medoc wine. Distinctly tough now and in need of at least five or six years of patience,. This was far silkier from barrel a year ago, but my early sample contained a much higher percentage of merlot.

Saturated bright medium ruby. Vibrant aromas of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, violet, bitter chocolate and mint. Sweet, suave and superripe, with creamy flavors of plum, cassis and licorice. Neither green nor over the top. Very well balanced, generous cabernet, finishing with substantial chewy tannins and noteworthy length and class.

Good medium red. Smoky red fruits, chocolate, leather and cola on the nose. Supple and lush, with a captivating spice character lifting the cocoa powder and mocha flavors. Very sweet, soft pinot, finishing with smooth tannins and subtle persistence.

Full red. Aromas of blueberry, smoke and fresh herbs, plus a whiff of sulfides. Fat and broad but uncompromisingly dry; showing more spice and cola than primary fruit. Finished with substantial ripe tannins and lovely persistence.

Good bright medium ruby. Brooding aromas of black cherry, blackberry, violet and menthol. Juicy on entry, then muscular and bound-up today; more intense and more powerful than the Highwire but also a bit drier today. A touch of petit sirah gives this wine somewhat tougher tannins but also more grip.

Good bright ruby-red. Highly aromatic nose of currant, violet, tobacco and menthol. Then a bit hard-edged in the mouth despite its high 3.9 pH. Lacks the suppleness and flesh of a thoroughly ripe year. Finishes with some unabsorbed acidity. Winemaker Chris Carpenter, who began as winemaker at Lokoya and was then Charles Thomas's assistant at Cardinale, gets first pick of the Jackson Family Farms Napa fruit.

Good medium bright ruby. Raw currant, smoke, leather, gunflint and earthy low tones on the nose, with musky espressoand truffle notes. Sweet and supple in the mouth, but with sound underlying structure and a suggestion of green pepper. Finishes with a riper chocolately note and good juicy persistance.

Good red-ruby. Sweet, musky aromas of black- and red currant and coffee. Very sweet, slightly tutti-frutti currant and chocolate flavors. A nicely aromatic midweight, with rather suave texture and moderate flesh.

Apple, spices and smoke on the nose. Juicy, spicely and shapely, with youthful lemon and lime flavors and sound underlying spine. Some sweeter fruit notes of yellow plum and peach emerged with aeration. Finished firm, fresh and persistent.

Medium red. Aromas of red fruits and baking spices, with hints of menthol, smoked meat and earth. Silky, suave and sweet; a bit fleshier than the Sonoma Coast bottling, with a flavor of raspberry. Nicely dry pinot finishing with fine tannins and a minty nuance.

Saturated, bright ruby-red. Pure aromas of blackberry, blueberry, espresso and black pepper. Sweet, supple and nicely balanced, with enticing black fruit and dark chocolate flavors. Ripely tannic, supple finish. Made up largely of declassified lots from Hartford Court's four vineyard-designated zins, all of which are from very old vines.

Good deep red. Aromas of syrupy red fruits, minerals, flowers and exotic spices. Dense, nicely concentrated and pliant, with fruit driven flavors of raspberry confiture. Nicely sweet pinot, finishing with smooth tannins.

Bright, deep ruby-red. Currant, truffle, chocolate, mocha and a note of menthol on the nose. Sweet and lush, with chewy flavors of dark berries, carob, smoke and mocha, plus a hint of greenness. Nicely supple wine that finishes with strong currant flavor, sweet tannins and a repeating green note.

Restrained aromas of citrus fruits, licorice, bacon fat, tarragon and smoky oak. Juicy and nicely focused, with vibrant flavors of lemon, lime and tarragon. Boasts good density without any undue weight.

Medium red. Spicy raspberry, red cherry, cola and sassafras aromas, with a floral nuance and a slightly roasted quality. Supple, attractive red fruit flavors offer moderate complexity but lovely pinot sweetness.

Good ruby-red. Distinctly rustic if not downright unclean aromas of crystallized dark fruits, meat, leather and herbs. Silkier and sweeter in the mouth, but with some funky notes of leather and smoked meat to go with the red berries and tobacco. The heavy-toast barrels sweeten the wine. Finishes firmly tannic and persistent , with wild leather and meat flavors. Has personality but not recommended for the fainthearted.

Red-ruby. Musky aromas of red berries, minerals, mint and currant leaf. Intensely flavored but distinctly firm-edged; quite closed in the mouth, perhaps still shocked by the bottling last September. Finishes with tart red berry flavors and moderate length.