Absolutely prodigious is the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner’s Select. Aged in 40% new French oak for 20 months prior to bottling, just under 600 cases of this wine were made. This is a stunner, made primarily from clone 337 with a little of clone 15. A wine of incredible intensity with an inky purple color, its notes of pen ink, graphite, blackberry and blueberry fruit as well as classic cassis are followed by a full-bodied, voluptuously textured, terrific wine with a multi-layered mouthfeel and incredible length. It should drink well for 15 or more years. Two other wines representing the pinnacle of mountain vineyards and great winemaking are the 2012 Reserve Claret and the compelling 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

A 100% varietal wine entirely from the producer's Napa side of its property, this special cuvee is thick and rich in black and blue fruit, generously soft and silky on the palate with well-integrated oak. Commplex and built to age, it finishes in a jolt of black pepper and licorice. Enjoy now through 2022. Cellar Selection. -V.B.

Medium-dark ruby; impressive, big, rich, spicy, cassis and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of graphite, mocha, and cedar chest; full body; big, textured, fruit-driven, ripe, dark cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with well integrated oak and a full, rich mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Will benefit with five more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended. 14.6% alcohol; 592 cases; 100% CS; released January 2015. (Group Score: 16.5, 2/2/1; My Score: 17 [92/100], second place)

Very much made in the familial mold with tight fruit and large tannins at its heart, this fairly dramatic effort may be a touch less endowed with richness than its mate above, but its sinewy structure and more-than-convincing depth promise a decade or two of drinking pleasure. Its black cherry, graphite and rich soil notes lead into a long, tight finish, and anything less than six to ten years of aging would be infanticide.

This is notably graceful for the vintage, featuring a supple core of plum, currant and blackberry flavors that are easy to approach and enjoy. Offers a core of berry fruit, with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2027. 592 cases made. - J.L.

Like the Merlot Vintner Select, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner Select is racy, but not quite as overt or flashy. Dark cherry jam, plums, rose petals and mint open up first, followed by a kick of Cabernet tannin that puts the exclamation point on the finish. Today, the 2012 is a bit compact and in need of time for the tannins to soften a bit more, which will also help release the wine's underlying richness.

-- Antonio Galloni