The late-released 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder offers plenty of blueberry and raspberry fruit intermixed with notions of acacia flowers, medium to full body, and abundant concentration and richness. One of the stars of the vintage, like most 2011s, it is on a fast evolutionary track, so drink it over the next 10-12 years.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Vineyard from Mt. Veeder reveals the classic blueberry and violet characteristics found in most top Mt. Veeder offerings, but was tart and crisp, lacking the flavor dimension one usually expects from Sbragia Cabernets. While certainly very good, it is made in an atypical elegant, delicate style. All of the Sonoma cuvees from Ed Sbragia, whose winery is located in Dry Creek, will be reviewed in the December, 2013 issue. The former and highly respected and successful winemaker for Beringer, Sbragia has produced these cuvees from Napa Valley under his own name. Tel. (707) 473-2992

Another compelling wine, Sbragia's 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Vineyard is full of implosive energy. Bitter chocolate, menthol, plums, licorice and tar explode from the glass in a rich, powerful wine loaded with Mt. Veeder character. The superb, vivid saline-infused finish adds to the wine's personality and energy. There is no shortage of personality here. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. Ed Sbragia can be counted on for wines that deliver consistently outstanding quality and plenty of personality. His 2009 Cabernets are particularly of note. Sbragia also has a magic touch when it comes to Chardonnay from Gamble Ranch, fruit he has worked with since 1976. Tel. (866) 222-4342

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Vineyard is beautifully layered, focused and tightly wound, all qualities that bode extremely well for the future. Mint, minerals and dark red fruit gradually unfurl in this understated, classy Cabernet. The personality of these steep vineyards on Mt. Veeder comes through in spades. The Wall Vineyard bottling includes 16% Cabernet Franc, the highest among these four Cabernets. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. This is a terrific set of wines from Ed Sbragia. I was especially impressed with the 2009 Cabernets. The Cabernets are made from mountain vineyards and include a dollop of Cabernet Franc. Readers should note that Sbragia chose not to bottle the 2008 Cabernets, hence the lack of notes for those wines in our database.Tel. (866) 222-4342

One of my favorite offerings is the brilliant 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Wall Vineyard. From an 1,800 foot elevation vineyard, it is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc. Black raspberry, blueberry, licorice, incense and graphite characteristics are accompanied by an opaque purple color, gorgeous complexity and richness and hints of toasty oak as well as flowers. The wine is generous, savory and expansive, but the wealth of extravagant fruit nearly hides abundant tannin in the finish. This brilliant Cabernet is actually underpriced for its quality. Drink it over the next two decades. Bigger than life veteran winemaker, musician and general bon vivant, Ed Sbragia continues to turn out a bevy of realistically priced wines that offer great value. To add to the excitement, every one of his 2007 Cabernet Sauvignons performed better out of bottle than it did from barrel - always a sign of top winemaking and reassuring integrity. However, Sbragia, who may have the Midas touch with red varietals (particularly his beloved Zinfandel as well as Cabernet Sauvignon) also knows a thing or two about Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. 2008 is an average quality year for most Zinfandel producers, but Sbragia has transcended the vintage’s challenges. Sbragia is producing five separate Cabernet Sauvignons, and the in-the-bottle notes that follow demonstrate that each of them performed better from the bottle than it did last year from barrel. P.S. I tasted through all the Sbragia 2008 single vineyard Cabernets, including the Wall, Cimarossa, Rancho del Oso, Monte Rosso and the Dry Creek Andolsen vineyard. They all appear to be potentially 90-93 point wines. While they are not as impressive as the 2007s, if they improve as much from barrel to bottle as the 2007s, look for the 2008s to compete with that vintage. Tel. (866) 222-4342