The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Maestro Collection BV Ranch No. 2 has all of the qualities the No.1 does not. An open, beautifully articulated bouquet melds into expressive fruit in this layered, beautifully balanced Cabernet Sauvignon. Mint, violets and sweet herbs add complexity on the delicate, fragrant, knock-out finish. This is a gorgeous wine from BV that shows the more delicate side of Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. One of the most important wines of my formative years was a sublime bottle of the 1976 Georges de Latour. Today Michel Rolland consults on that wine, but frankly this is a very strong set of wines across the board, with a number of bottles that offer excellent value.Tel. (800) 373-5896

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Maestro Collection Beaulieu No. 1 is produced from one of the estate’s top vineyards. Its dense ruby/plum/purple color is followed by an intriguing bouquet of creme de cassis, licorice, smoke and spice box. The wood component seems elevated at present, and this is the least accessible of all the BV wines. If the oak becomes better integrated and more fruit emerges, this wine should have outstanding potential, but at present it is too woody for its own good. Despite being owned by a huge international corporation, BV appears to be returning to the glorious form it exhibited in the fifties, sixties and early seventies. That was noticeable with several of the wines I reviewed last year.Tel. (800) 373-5896; Fax (707) 967-0428

The other red wines (which have been impossible to recommend for well over a decade) include the brilliant 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Maestro Reserve. Revealing abundant graphite, it is more closed than the Private Reserve and Tapestry, but it reveals enormous potential. Spicy, sweet, subtle oak intermixed with cassis, black cherries, plums, and licorice emerge from this full-bodied wine of exceptional depth, texture, and length. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring, and enjoy it over the next 25+ years. One of the most dramatic revelations in my California North Coast tastings was the resurrection/renaissance of Beaulieu Vineyard, one of the historic names in California winedom. This was the source of some extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignons in the fifties, sixties, and early seventies, but the winery fell on hard times and was sold (it is now owned by the gigantic Diageo company). However, they have come back with a vengeance over the last few vintages. Michel Rolland, the brilliant wine consultant, was brought in to help resurrect the Private Reserve program, and it appears his magic has spilled over onto the other wines as well.Tel. (800) 373-5896; Fax (707) 967-0428