The estate’s flagship wine, the medium-bodied 2001 Cask 23 exhibits notions of berry fruit intermixed with spice, coffee beans, herbs, and a touch of the cow dung component. While the attack is attractive, the wine narrows out and concludes with an angular, uninteresting finish. It actually performs less well than its two siblings, which is hard to understand. It will age for 10-15 years, but this 2001 in no way recalls the great Cask 23's of the seventies and early to mid-eighties. What a shame! Tel. (707) 944-2020; Fax (707) 257-7501

Classic Napa Cab, right up there with the greats. Somehow manages to combine monstrous power with understated elegance. The strength is obviously in the ripe fruit and elaborate oak, while the subtlety lies in the soft tannins and impeccable balance. It’s a wine you return to over and over, trying to figure it out, but it’s always a step ahead. Drink now, with rich fare, or age through 2020.——S.H.(2/1/2005)—— 96