From the Jumping Goat Vineyard within the St. Helena area, the 2007 Metisse Cabernet Sauvignon Jumping Goat Vineyard (a 400-case blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot) is a brilliant wine. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by a classic nose of spring flowers, black currants, coffee beans, smoke, and forest floor. Full-bodied with silky tannins, a voluptuous texture, and real opulence and length, it comes across like a French right bank wine rather than a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated red. Drink it over the next two decades.

Deep ruby-red. Extremely backward, medicinal nose conveys an exotic sweetness to the aromas of crushed blueberry, chocolate, caramel, licorice and marzipan. Then lush and seamless in the mouth; in a distinctly feminine style and offering plenty of early sweetness and sex appeal. Perhaps still a bit youthfully monolithic, but there's plenty of structure underneath to support development in bottle. Finishes with broad, late-arriving tannins. Melka emphasizes that his wine has been from a single vineyard since 2003 (a property next to Spottswoode, owned by Jim Gamble), but that he is only now denoting this on the label.

Firm and well-structured, showing a tight mix of spicy blackberry and wild berry fruit, with notes of spice, mineral and sage. Full-bodied, focused and persistent, ending with a rich, loamy earth and forest floor aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2020.