Another outstanding effort, the 2007 Pinot Noir Russian River offers up scents of rhubarb, wild strawberries, black cherries, and a hint of spice box as well as a plush, succulent texture, silky tannins, and a long finish. As the wine sits in the glass, sassafras/cola notes also emerge. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.

Easy-to-like from first sniff to lengthy finish., this delicious wine relies on its open, juicy black cherry, sweet plum fruit to set the pace and finds added range in its interesting nuances of caramel and dark chocolate. Fairly full in body and just soft enough for service today with long-cooked meats like lamb Shanks or Short Ribs of Beef, it has the depth for several years of beneficial aging in the cellar as well.

Lots of crunchy acidity in this fresh, young wine. Thoroughly dry, and with a silky texture, it shows pleasant flavors of red cherries, raspberries, cola, orange zest, persimmons and vanilla. Very fine, and should age gracefully for six years or so.

Its ripeness and slightly candied Maraschino cherry sweetness set the early pace here, but there is also an underlying racy quality that comes on strong and finishes with a rush that brings things back into balance. Along the route, flesh and suppleness keep up with one another while confident tannins wait in reserve.

This is a beautiful pale ruby red pinot. Expect aromas of ripe Strawberry and rhubarb fruit, with beet, cinnamon and some floral notes. Dry, medium weight with gentle soft tannins, creamy with the fruit well balanced by lively acidity. Nicely integrated oak shows up a little more on the finish. Very good to excellent length. Will gain complexity and integration with another year of bottle age. Roast beef would work well. Best 2010 to 2014.

There's a fineness to the raspberry and fraises des bois flavor in this wine, with the crisp impression of fruit just coming into ripeness. The aroma is floral and tight, the finish showing more oak than fruit at the moment, needing a year in bottle to come into balance.

A lovely Pinot, polished and supple. Ready to drink now for its crisp acidity, lush coat of smoky oak and, above all, exotically complex flavors of cherry pie filling, black raspberry tart, cola, red plum and mocha. Should evolve through 2012.

The earthier 2006 Pinot Noir Russian River displays scents of clove, allspice, licorice, and dark cherries. This is a meaty, earthy example of well-made Pinot. Drink it over the next 3-5 years.

The 2,000 case cuvee of 2006 Pinot Noir Carneros exhibits a dark ruby color followed by aromas and flavors of sweet raspberries, kirsch, forest floor, and spring flowers. Medium to full-bodied with lovely fruit and length as well as ripe tannins, it should be drunk over the next 3-5 years.

The deepest of the three Pinots is the 2005 Pinot Noir Ahmen Vineyard. Denser, deeper ruby than the other Pinots, with a broad, savory mouthfeel, some hints of pomegranate, black currant, and cherry, with some forest floor and roasted herbs, this wine is fresh, savory, rich, and actually might improve over the next year or two.

The 2005 Pinot Noir Falk Vineyard has intense aromatics which reflect the cool Anderson Valley. Plum, strawberry, cherry, and even a scent of blueberry jump from the glass of this wine, made all from the Dijon clones 115, 667, and 777. This is an attractive, floral, elegant, yet flavorful Pinot Noir to drink over the next several years.

A suave pinot noir that your boss can drink now or cellar. Look for a fresh cherry/berry nose with super bright fruit flavours. Likely and supple with silky tannins and a touch of tea leaves in the finish. Excellent. Should be a restaurant standard. Pair with turkey or salmon.

Tight and tense in its grapey youth, this needs time for its impressive length of flavor to evolve. Stash it away for two or three years then serve with roast partridge.

Expressive black cherry licorice cola compost aromas waft out of the glass. Definitely cherry plum and vanilla flavours with creamy smoke and just a dusting of tannin. Quite a spicy aftertaste. Despite an open top fermentation regime with punch downs four times a day and nine months barrel ageing in 44 per cent French oak barrels this unfiltered and unfined pinot is extremely elegant.

This is deep and earthy, with leather and herbal accents. A powdery quality softens the full-blast cherry and plum fruit, which carries a touch of cola and oaky vanilla. The finish is top-shelf, with citrus peel, tea, dried spices, espresso and burnt toast. It's simultaneously rustic yet refined; the perfect match. Editor's Choice

If never less than wholly ripened, this sleek and stylish youngster counts balance and brightness among its chief assets and is ever keyed on nicely focused fruit. Its creamy oak plays a supporting role to its larger themes of sweet cherries, and the unexpected presence of a bit of finishing heat does little to distract from its inviting message of lively fruit.

A conserve of blueberry and orange zest, this wine is pure fruit up front, then a wallop of tannin in the end. Potent, wild syrah, you could tame that power and make use of the wine's acidity with marlin in a red wine sauce.

This attractive, keenly focused offering reminds me that Syrah need not always key on runaway ripeness and heavy-handed extracts to achieve richness, and its precise, carefully composed display of berries, violets, pepper cream and spice is both complex and deceptively potent without ever being overblown. Moderately full-bodied, nominally tannic and firmed by a streak of nicely fit acidity, it steers clear of any undue heat or finishing toughness and should reach its peak in four or five years.

As its name indicates,the 1999 Chardonnay Nine Barrels is a selection of the finest Chardonnay barrels. Its attractive bouquet of peaches, acacia flowers, and hazelnuts is followed by a medium to full-bodied wine with ripe, nicely layered flavors.

This appealing Chardonnay is the same wine that carried a reserve designation in prior vintages. It's lushly woven and has aromas and flavors of pear, pineapple and peach. The fruit is rich but not overly sweet, and sports accents of cinnamon and allspice. This balanced, medium-weight wine finishes long and easy with nice nuttiness.

Rich aromas of apple fruit with toasty vanillin oak and earthy notes. Fat and full on the palate, with creamy butterscotch flavors and smoky edges. Long, crème brulee finish.

A Meursault-like, medium-bodied wine, with green-apple, peach and pear aromas. Smoky and oaky, with rich, soft, spicy flavors. Flashy and opulent.

"Remarkable for its creamy peach and pear flavors, it picks up a nice smoke and toast nuance and then keeps the flavors lively through its long, complex finish." (Also appeared 6/15/97).

Buttery richness accents the apple pastry, ripe pear and dried mango flavors in this creamy style. The spicy finish offers savory notes.

Full and rich, this has a sizable concentration of guava, pineapple and lime, the latter offering a hint of underlying freshness. The finish is big, yet tangled in acidity.