The 2011 Metisse Jumping Goat Vineyard is one of the biggest, most concentrated 2011s I have tasted so far. Hints of scorched earth, tobacco and spices add complexity to a huge core of dark fruit. In 2011 the blend is 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, which is to say the Cabernet is down and the Merlot is up relative to the 2010. The additional Merlot in the blend seems to add gorgeous mid-palate pliancy. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. Philippe Melka’s roster of consulting clients reads like a Who’s Who of Napa Valley, but the wines Melka makes with his wife Cherie are just as compelling. The Metisse wines are made from vineyards in Knights Valley and St. Helena.Tel. (707) 963-6008

The 2010 Metisse Napa Valley is dazzling. Mint, blackberry jam, violets and graphite are some of the many nuances that flow from this powerful wine. The 2010 impresses for its breathtaking richness and depth. The very best qualities of this vintage are alive in the glass. This is a stellar showing from Philippe and Cherie Melka. The 2010 is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot from the Jumping Goat Vineyard in St. Helena. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. I was very impressed with these wines from Philippe and Cherie Melka. The Melkas source fruit from a variety of vineyards in Napa Valley and Knights Valley. The flagship Metisse series represents a blend of French and American cultures.Tel. (707) 963-6008

The 2009 Metisse Napa Valley is another huge, totally expressive wine. Here, too, the style is more polished and elegant than the 2008. Layers of effortless, racy fruit flow from this seamless, compelling wine. Hints of smoke, ash and tar wrap around the seriously intense finish. The 2009 is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot and 7% Merlot from the Jumping Goat Vineyard in St. Helena. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2029. I was very impressed with these wines from Philippe and Cherie Melka. The Melkas source fruit from a variety of vineyards in Napa Valley and Knights Valley. The flagship Metisse series represents a blend of French and American cultures.Tel. (707) 963-6008

The 2009 Metisse Knights Valley is a silkier, racier and more polished wine than the 2008 I tasted alongside it. Dark red berries, flowers, licorice, menthol and mocha are layered into a rich, textured finish. This is flat-out delicious. Here too, the style is opulent and full-bodied. All of the elements are beautifully in place. The 2009 is 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot aged in French oak barrels, 33% new. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. I was very impressed with these wines from Philippe and Cherie Melka. The Melkas source fruit from a variety of vineyards in Napa Valley and Knights Valley. The flagship Metisse series represents a blend of French and American cultures.Tel. (707) 963-6008

The 2008 Metisse Cabernet Sauvignon Jumping Goat Vineyard is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot and 7% Merlot aged in French oak, of which 85% was new. The wine, which is made at the Vineyard 29 high-tech facility north of St. Helena, possesses a dense saturated ruby/purple color as well as a sweet kiss of black currants, cedar, toast, gravel and flowers. Ripe and medium to full-bodied with velvety tannins (a Melka trademark), this multidimensional, layered, rich, supple wine can be drunk now and over the next 15+ years. This is the personal project of the increasingly respected and well-known French winemaking consultant, Philippe Melka, and his wife, Cherie. Their negociant blend called CJ comes from three Napa Valley sources, two in the southern region (Soda Canyon and Coombsville) and one from the northern sector of Calistoga. The La Mekerra Vineyard produces Melka's Pomerol/St.-Emilion-styled wine. It is normally a blend of two-thirds Merlot and one-third Cabernet Franc from Knight's Valley.Tel. (707) 963-6008; Fax (707) 963-4546