This is a delightful Chardonnay that entices at the first sip and continues to hold my interest later. It is not a huge wine but it is complex in flavor and rich in texture. This wine derives from three Chardonnay clones, each grown in a different section of Napa Valley, two of them fairly cool areas. This complexity of terroir and clones brings an array of aromas and flavors to the wine, suggesting citrus, apple, pear, peach, banana and pineapple; partial barrel fermentation (70 percent of the wine), and oak aging (31 percent new oak) for most of the wine, bring notes of spice, vanilla and baked apple. The wine’s texture is creamy, while fresh acidity that has not been softened by malolactic fermentation keeps the wine lively within the creaminess. At $30, I consider this a very good buy.

The 2012 Chardonnay is a non-malolactic, old style California Chardonnay that sees little new oak (about 15% new French is utilized). Lots of pear, lemon oil and citrus notes emerge from this crisp, medium-bodied, fresh, lively Chardonnay. Enjoy it over the next 4-5 years.

A simple chardonnay, this melds citrusy fruit and spicy oak in perfumed orange and clove scents. It finishes a touch sweet, with the warmth to match roast veal.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County) is round, plush and supple, especially for the year. Dark red cherry, plum, tobacco and menthol. Drink this pliant, expressive, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon over the next few years. This is a terrific value from Fortress.

Exhibits common California Pinot aromas of beets and root beer, alone with spiced strawberries. Fairly full and rich, it's a plump rendition that shows a touch of alcoholic heat in the finish.

Medium body, acid and fruit. Medium oak. Lots of tannin. Blackberries, grass, smoke, cherry tobacco. Intense blackberry flavors remain focused beneath a firm structure with lasting oak notes.

Talk about size. Ultra-rich, ultra-ripe fruit - you can literally taste the sun in the rich, sweet, pure berry flavors. Feels rich and thick in the mouth; jammy viscous, with outsized fruit. But has the tannic and acid structure to pull it off.

This wine reveals an opaque black/purple color, as well as a boldly-styled nose of jammy blackberry fruit intertwined with cassis and earth. It is a broodingly dense, chewy, uncomplex wine with intense flavors, full body, and excellent , nearly outstanding purity and length.

This dark ruby colored Petite Sirah from Mendocino opens with a black cherry and red plum bouquet with hints of vanilla and cedar. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and smooth. The flavor profile is a mild mineral infused gentle plum with notes of tea. We also detected some black cherry and dark chocolate mixed in as well. The finish is dry and its moderate dusty tannins linger nicely. The Panel suggested pairing this Petite Sirah with a bacon burger or porchetta. Very good.

A smoky, hickory note up front frames the core of lush blackberry and dark plum flavors, with spice, mineral and dried herb details and firm, chewy tannins.

…offers aromas and flavors of smoke, plums, blackberries, and black raspberries, and black currants. Spicy and round, with a supple texture, and a rich, medium to full-bodied, luscious texture, this wine can be drunk over the next 4-5 years.

Dark cherry red appearance with a deep cast. Medium-bodied. Highly extracted. Moderately oaked. Moderately tannic. Bramble fruits, blackberries, spice. Deep brooding dark fruit aromas. Assertive and extracted flavors show a concentrated character through a full spicy finish. Youthful and gutsy.

Smooth, ripe and spicy, with a pretty core of plum, cherry and wild berry flavors that turn elegant and supple on the finish.

The nose offers gingersnap and black cherry. Forward fruit fills the palate; berries, cherry and ginger spice. Tasty and ripe, full bodied and generous. This is a wine for serious fruit lovers.

Edmeades is known for its delicious, fruity Zinfandels from Mendocino.

Deep ruby. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Quite tannic. Smoked meat, herbs, dried black fruit. Firmly structured, with aromatic smoky oak notes and a long, dry finish. A distinctive style for hearty lamb and beef dishes.

Magenta. Medium-bodied. Full acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately tannic. Cherries, brown spice. Piquantly spiced and lively, but essentially mild in its flavors. Finishes with a warm sensation.

Less accessible, more structured, and richer, with an underlying tart character adding a different textural dimension to this rich, red currant/cranberry/raspberry-flavored wine. Elegant and pure, with fine density and a delicious surprisingly long finish, this textbook, medium-weight, impeccably made Zinfandel is crammed with fruit. Like its sibling, it will drink well for 4-5 years.

Dark ruby color...promising and open nose of red and black fruits and spice, highly-extracted, black-raspberry and cherry flavors, full body and light tannin in the structured finish. The wine is young, exuberant, fresh, and pure. Drink it over the next decade.

Full body. Medium acid. Lots of fruit, oaky. Lots of tannin, leather, black fruit, chocolate. Classic Zin loaded with bramble fruit, with balanced oak and tannins.

This good, old-fashioned and straightforward wine is nicely fruity, slightly spicy and has a smooth but firm texture that will be great with food. It is medium in body, shows attractive blackberry and black-cherry notes and has a good touch of tannin for grip.

Top Ten: California I like the evolution of this wine, now a little less funky and a little more dependable, but still with that bright Mendocino fruit character. Now just under 30 years old the fruit is sourced from across 64 acres inside the Mendocino AVA, including Mendocino Ridge, Redwood Valley and the Anderson Valley appellations. Old fruit is a pillar of Edmeades, with Ciapusci Vineyard planted in 1878, Perli Vineyard planted in the late 1800’s, Zeni Vineyard planted in 1910 and Piffero Vineyard planted in 1930. Wines are made in an artisanal way, using small, open top fermenters, indigenous yeast fermentations, and are bottled unfined and unfiltered. I love the peppery, blackberry jam aromas and a savoury undercurrent. It’s already delicious drinking but should be fine for the next three to five years. Perfect with grilled meat or chicken dishes. 89 points.

This has what we’re looking for in a good, dry red for dinner time, namely fruit aromas, tasty fruit flavors, full body and a firm texture of tannins and acidity. It makes a nice candidate for house red.

Appealing, with briary wild berry aromas and zesty, slightly chunky flavors of plum, licorice and roasted fresh herbs.

With a touch of maple syrup in the fruity aromas, and rich, generous flavors, this full-bodied wine is lush, drenched with blackberry and boysenberry notes. Mild, oaky accents from the aroma linger on the finish.