The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Highland Estates is a fabulous wine. Dark red fruit, mint, spices, menthol and licorice meld together beautifully in this finessed, elegant wine. The black fruit has wonderful depth and more than enough purity to balance the tannins. This is a promising wine loaded with character and personality. The Highland Estates is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Veeder Peak aged in French oak, 80% new. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2021. Tel. (800) 769-3649

A fabulous wine that should be purchased by the case is the 2007 Highland Estates Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa’s Mt. Veeder. Made from estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon from the Veeder Peak Vineyard, this is a stunningly rich, full-bodied, opulent, blue/purple-colored Cabernet displaying notes of ink, asphalt, creme de cassis, blueberries and hints of underbrush and spring flowers. It is another sensational Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Veeder, a tricky sector in the Mayacamas Mountains. A wine for true connoisseurs, this 2007 needs another 4-5 years of cellaring and should be capable of lasting 20-25 years or more. Kendall-Jackson enjoys a well-deserved reputation for over-delivering quality vis a vis price for its wines.Tel. (800) 769-3649; www.kj.com

The top of the Kendall-Jackson pyramid, in terms of both price and quality, are the single-vineyard offerings. All of these wines performed well. The finest Cabernet-based wine in Kendall-Jackson's single vineyard program is the 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Veeder Peak. It exhibits an opaque purple color, accompanied by a smoky, mineral, cassis, and roasted olive-scented nose, and dense, full-bodied flavors with abundant black fruit, licorice, and smoke. A powerful, rich, concentrated vin de garde that needs 4-6 years of cellaring, it is a 20-year wine. According to the winery, this Cabernet is produced from fruit harvested at an elevation of 1,400-1,500 feet.Tel. (800) 769-3649; Fax (707) 579-3419