An event spotlighting some of the best and brightest talents in wine cellars today, last weekend’s “atelier” at Acme Fine Wines in St. Helena surpassed even the organizers’ goals.

Acme Fine Wines partners Karen Williams and David Stevens wanted to acquaint trade, media and consumers with the friends they’d made in the wine trade — dynamic young men and women crafting some of the valley’s most sought-after wines — and to offer an opportunity to taste the diverse offerings from their portfolios. They did that — and more.

Throughout late morning and early afternoon last Saturday, a diverse crowd oohed and aahed as we swirled, sniffed and sampled one outstanding wine after another made by a dozen first-rate vintners. Not only did we get to meet these craftsmen and sample a wealth of exceptional bottlings, but also growers and brand owners (with whom this dazzling dozen collaborate) were on hand to greet all and answer questions about the viticulture at hand.

Reflecting the current mix among enological standard-bearers, four of the winemakers are women — Heidi Peterson Barrett, Sarah Gott, Celia Welch Masyczek and Pam Starr. Also taking part were Russell Bevan, Andy Erickson, Mark Herold, Mike Hirby, Craig MacLean, Philippe Melka, Robbie Meyer and Dave Phinney. What a lineup! No wonder the event was a sell-out.

Considering participants were pouring wines from all of the projects they work on, the tasting was indeed a heady undertaking. This participant decided it would be best to limit the intial pass-through to one wine from each winemaker. With a couple of exceptions (no arm-twisting was involved, I assure you), I stuck to the game plan.

Not a mediocre wine in the bunch that I tasted; there were some standouts on this palate:

Dancing Hares 2005 ($100): A stunning Bordeaux blend (58 percent cabernet sauvignon, 24 percent cabernet franc, 15 percent merlot and 3 percent petit verdot) from vines grown on a choice five-acre estate along the north fork of Crystal Springs Road at the foot of Howell Mountain, owned by Paula Brooks and Bob Cook. Andy Erickson, who’s also responsible for such well-received brands as Screaming Eagle and Arietta, has brought out the best of each grape in this complex blend — ripe, sweet fruit that come together to offer a lovely rose petal/cherry blossom nose and layers and layers of cherries and raspberries on the palate. A wonderful wine from entry to finish and one of my favorites of the tasting.

Favia 2006 Rompe Cabezas ($65): A brand owned by Andy Erickson and his wife, Annie Favia, this wine belies its Spanish name (which translates to jigsaw puzzle) as it is a marvelous expression of Rhone varietals grown in the Sierra Foothills of Amador County. The blend is approximately one-third each of grenache, mourvedre and syrah, with a cellar process that includes co-fermenting the grenache and mourvedre. It’s a wine that’s completely different from anything else in Erickson’s extensive kit bag. A fruity, juicy blend that gets its spice from the grenache and bright acid from the mourvedre, has inviting floral notes and flavors that run from raspberry to blueberry on the lingering finish.

Relic 2007 Ritual ($48): Wisconsin cheesehead Mike Hirby — a Behrens and Hitchcock alum now making his own and Realm wines, among others — sure knows his way around a wine cellar. For the brand that he owns with his wife, Schatzi, he’s laid claim to some pretty nice mourvedre and grenache grown in Pope Valley that make up the lion’s share of the blend (55 and 22 percent, respectively). To give the wine a little added stuffing, he’s blended in syrah (15 percent) and petite sirah (8 percent). Like the Rhone blend from Favia, this is an unusual wine from cabernet country. An earthy, spicy wine with marked floral notes, Ritual is a full-bodied mouthful of blackberries and blueberries with a lovely sweet finish that keeps on giving.

Melka Wines 2005 Métisse ($110): A four-star wine from the former winemaker at Dominus and Quintessa, Philippe Melka, who is consulting on a number of projects (Roy Estate, Vineyard 29, Lail) as well as making his own wines. This is a single vineyard cabernet sauvignon blend (7 percent petit verdot) from a four-acre tract adjacent to Spottswoode owned by Jim Gamble. It displays its pedigree from nose to finish, a classic, sexy cabernet that I could whiff all day, a silky texture accenting oodles of blackberries, with soothing cassis lingering on the palate.

Garric Cellars 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($85): Pam Starr has been making exceptional wines in the Napa Valley for more than two decades, including Adastra and the brand she owns with Charlie Crocker. This is 100 percent cabernet sauvignon made for a pair of wine enthusiast physicians from Chicago, Gary Ochwat and Ricardo Cajulis, with fruit coming from vineyards in Calistoga and Yountville. Typical of Starr’s winemaking style, it’s a classy effort that puts its fruit in the best possible light, offering cassis and forest earth on the nose, with flavors running from ripe blackberries to freshly brewed espresso on the palate. There’s even a hint of dark chocolate on the never-ending finish. Another winner from the Starr collection.

La Sirena 2005 Barrett Vineyard Syrah ($80): Making syrahs for her own brand since 2000, Heidi Peterson Barrett is another outstanding distaff member of the valley’s wine community. This wine is the biggest of the three syrahs from La Sirena, with fruit harvested on a steep, rocky two-acre Calistoga tract owned by the Barretts. Fewer than 200 cases were produced, making it a collector’s dream — a dense, finesse syrah with spice, cherries and cassis evident on both nose and palate, and an opulent blueberry finish.

La Sirena 2007 Moscato Azul ($30): A white wine from Heidi Barrett? Oh yeah, and it’s a classy one. The winemaker wanted to show consumers the wonders of a dry muscat and she certainly has. This is 100 percent muscat cannelli from the Solari vineyard in Calistoga — expressing the heady perfume of fruit tree blossoms and tropical fruit, with flavors to match. I’m sure glad the winemaker brought this one along.

Corra 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($125): After making wines for everybody else for two decades, Celia Welch Mazyczek decided to launch her own brand. This is 100 percent cabernet sauvignon blended from three distinct vineyards in Oakville, Rutherford and on Pritchard Hill. The winemaker assembles these wines at Keever where she’s in charge of that winemaking effort as well. An intense, full-bodied cab with intoxicating Bing cherry and blackberry aromas that leap from the glass, this is another exceptional effort from a woman who’s always on the frontline of the cult wine movement (check out the price her Scarecrow offering realized at Napa Valley Vintners’ winter trade auction). Silky tannins combine with blackberries and cassis and linger on the palate. Fewer than 200 cases were produced.

Oakville East Exposure 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($100): Recognized for her efforts in the cellar at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Sarah Gott has a lot on her plate, including this outstanding blend of cabernet sauvignon (85 percent), cabernet franc (12 percent) and petit verdot (3 percent) for Elliott Stern’s intriguing co-op-styled brand. Fruit for this one comes from biodynamically farmed vineyards on the sunbaked eastern hills midway up the valley. Soft, dusty tannins are evident along with structure and finesse, offered by the cab franc, no doubt, along with lingering flavors of Santa Rosa plums and wild blackberries.

Cavus 2005 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon ($80): Best known for his outstanding flagship wine, The Prisoner, at Orin Swift, Dave Phinney is also making exceptional wines for others. Phinney says the fruit for this wine comes from “a no-brainer vineyard where all you have to do is wait for the fruit to mature.” A southwest facing plot behind the renowned Fay Vineyard accounts for this field blend of cabernet sauvignon (94 percent), merlot (4 percent) and cabernet franc (2 percent). This is lush wine as it should  be, with silky tannins that are the hallmark of this appellation. It has an intriguing mouthfeel, and bowls one over with sweet blackberries and subtle spice.

Celani Family Vineyards 2005 Ardore Cabernet Sauvignon ($175): Responsible for cultivating what he terms “small, unpolished gems,” Mark Herold is credited with launching Merus and now making wines for Kamen and Kobalt projects. This is a first-rate cabernet sauvignon (100 percent) from the inaugural vintage. Intense, extracted, bold — the Coombsville fruit produces a brooding wine of great intensity with cassis and blackberries on the entry and a splash of juicy plums on the finish.

JAQKCellars 2006 High Roller Cabernet Sauvignon ($67): With more than two decades experience in Napa Valley Cellars, ranging from Cain to Ahnfeldt, Craig MacLean has blended grapes from hillside and benchlands for this new wine brand’s top-drawer cabernet sauvignon. Fruit comes from Rutherford, Oakville and Coombsville (87 percent cabernet sauvignon, 9 percent merlot and 4 percent malbec) for this brawny blend. Bing cherries, Santa Rosa plums and cassis dance on the palate to the beat of the cab over a malbec bass line, and finishes with a subtle twirl of lush merlot.

Showket Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($70): Winemaker Russell Bevan is intent on showcasing the natural flavor profiles of the wines he makes, and he’s surely done it here with the estate Showket cabernet sauvignon (100 percent). This is a big, bold, four-star cab, with an elegant finish. Strawberries tickle the nose, while blackberries jump out of the glass and tempt the palate.

Jericho Canyon Vineyard 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon ($80): A veteran of Peter Michael and Lewis winemaking operations, Robbie Meyer has put together a first-class Bordeaux blend for Jericho Canyon. Ripe hillside fruit from Calistoga (81 percent cabernet sauvignon, 16 percent cabernet franc and 3 percent merlot) comes together in this big, juicy blend rife with blackberries and cassis on both nose and palate. I especially appreciated the have-another-sip finish.

All of these wines are available online, at retail shops and, for the most part, on local restaurant wine lists.