The beautiful 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (a 457-case blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc) boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as attractive aromas of sweet creme de cassis, tobacco leaf, earth, and subtle barrique smells. Full-bodied with good acidity, sweet tannin, and a layered, rich, concentrated mouthfeel, it should drink nicely for 15 years. La Sirena is the personal project of Heidi Barrett, the well-known wine consultant and wife of Chateau Montelena’s Bo Barrett. The three Syrah cuvees range from vineyards in the southern Santa Ynez region, to the northern end of Napa Valley from the Barrett Vineyard in Calistoga. All three are differentTel. (707) 942-1105; Fax (707) 942-9390

This dramatically structured Cab needs time in the cellar. It straddles the old-fashioned style of long-aging and the modern style of immediate opulence. The tannins star, sticky and firm, but the wine, which contains minor amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, is so rich, so loaded in black currants, cherries, sweet ripe plums, chocolate, anise and smoky oak, that it seduces now. But best after the age of six.——S.H.(12/31/2008)—— 94