Cabernet yields powerful tannic extract in this mountain vineyard, here worked into a soft, luxurious texture. The cherrylike fruit is merely a backdrop for the tannic complexity. An accessible mountain red to serve with prime rib.

Not to be taken for less than exciting is this ripe and somewhat rugged bottling from the very top of the eastside mountains above the Alexander Valley. Like its cellarmate from Napa, it is deep and tasty and in need of cellaring. It is perhaps a bit less polished in feel and exhibits a bit of a dried leaf overlay, but its depth and sheer mass will make it a fan favorite for those whose palates prefer Cabernets in need of bottle age.

Blends fruit from Napa and Sonoma and most of that off top benchland. Look for a rich black fruit nose with spicy, cassis notes. On the palate it's rich ripe and round with coffee, vanilla, peppery blackberry fruit flavours and a long smooth finish with substantial but soft tannins.

Sleek and smoky, this wine has a rich velvet feel that draws out the sweetness of the tannins. A classic California style based on clean, ripe fruit, this is built for a New York steakhouse.

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Highland Estates Hawkeye Mountain comes from a much higher elevation (1,800 to 2,200 feet) and is also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It possesses more rocky minerality and a masculine, rigid style. Lots of structure, tannin and a distinctive earthiness are intermingled with plum, anise and red and black currant fruit. Drink it over the next decade.

This sleek cabernet has a soft texture and a green peppercorn flavor has a soft texture and a green peppercorn flavor that feels hard edged at first, needing air to meld into the wine. When it does it makes the wine feel rounder, still edgy enough for pepper steak.

Black and tannic, this wine is dominated by its oak for now, providing a range of exotic spices over the fruit. Underneath, there's a red cherry and black pepper flavor that should absorb those spicy wood tannins as the wine ages. The wine has plenty of energy to go the distance.

Jess Jackson continues his quest for the perfect blended wine. This combination of Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino is quite hefty in astringent tannins. Beneath that is a rich core of sweet black cherry fruit. It seems designed for the cellar. Best after 2007.

Delivers a ripe, complex, supple core of blackberry and cherry flavors, dashes of spice and sage and adds subtle earth notes. Turns elegant and complex on the finish, where the tannins are soft and fleshy. Ready now through 2000.

With its sturdy blackberry and raspberry flavors backed up by subtle spice and a good, dry finish, this is an altogether engaging Zinfandel. While its upfront fruit marks this wine as unmistakably Zinfandel, there is nothing overheated or unpleasantly sweet going on here -- on the contrary, its well balanced boldness is what makes this a terrific partner for chili con carne and other similarly bold foods.

Winemaster Randy Ullom tells me the grapes come from Mendocino County and the dry grown vines are around 50, 75 and 100 years of age. Currently available at Dan Murphy's. Raspberry, pepper, cinnamon, iron filings, lick of coconut and vanilla, though oak is discreet. Medium bodied, light chalky open weave tannin, even acidity, not sweet - kind of more to Primitivo in style than some Zinfandels - fresh and crunchy on the finish. Floral mouth perfume. Very good. Not trying too hard.

The Great Estates offerings are impressive...The outstanding 2000 Great Estates Zinfandel emerges primarily from Mendocino. It boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as a sweet perfume of briery, berry fruit intermixed with mineral and pepper scents. Spicy, nicely layered, and full-bodied, this delicious Zin...

Deep golden hue. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Heavily oaked. Brown spice, tropical fruit, brown butter. Virtually [in]distinguishable from a Chardonnay but well made nonetheless. Pleasant attractive oak derived complexity. Rich and buttery finish $25.

The 2010 Viognier Alisos Hills is beautiful, round and impeccably balanced. This is a fairly restrained style for Viognier in the bouquet. It is the wine's texture, depth and polished finish that stand out most. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

Vanilla scents of oak round the sweet ripeness of pear, while the wine remains clean and oriented toward that pear fruitiness. The oak seems to bring a savory bitterness, a supple, waxy base for the lemon and pear flavors to linger on, substantial and satisfying with roast veal.

Notes of herbs, apricots and mint. Nice creamy texture with great balance. Best Buy.

Classic varietal identity. Pungent aromas of hay alongside orange rind and apricot. Crisp, lemony flavors.

This pale straw colored Sauvignon Blanc from Kendall Jackson displays green apple, pear, pineapple and banana aromas on the nose. It is refreshingly crisp, pleasantly acidic with soft notes of lychee and lime that are tempered by a hint of minerality. It has a long and lingering finish for Sauvignon Blanc. We would pair it with swordfish skewers and grilled asparagus or with an asparagus or fiddlehead risotto. We really enjoyed this wine. Very good+.

Lush and smooth with bright, juicy flavors and racy acidity; rich and peachy with depth and style.

Carefully selected from the top 1% of all Kendall-Jackson Sauvignon Blanc lots, this Grand Reserve represents qualities that Sauvignon Blanc lovers enjoy. The color is a brilliant light gold with a pale green cast, while the nose displays hints of vanilla, citrus and a blend of floral and subtle grassy notes. Dry and textured, the flavors show inviting mineral accents. Nicely balanced with juicy flavors, this Grand Reserve finishes with 14.3% alcohol and layers of fruit.

A charismatic white blend for warm days. Relatively new to the market is Kendall-Jackson Summation, a charismatic kitchen-sink concoction of eight different grapes from five different California wine regions (mostly Lake, Mendocino and Santa Barbara counties). Sauvignon Blanc gives it a crisp backbone and minerality, Viognier and Chardonnay add body and a lush texture and Rousanne, White Riesling and Muscat Canelli add bright fruit and floral aromas.

This new blend from K-J focuses on Rhône varieties (viognier, roussanne, marsanne, grenache blanc) and Loire varieties (sauvignon and chenin blanc) along with some chardonnay, semillon and gewurztraminer. The biggest portion comes from Lake County (43 percent), with contributions from a range of other coastal regions. Randy Ullom blends it into a credible alternative to chardonnay, the variety that K-J made its name on. This has a rich mouthfeel and honeyed character, here appropriately tied to scents of orange rind, fresh nuts and subdued floral tones.

"Even better is the outstanding 1999...low-acid, fleshy, full-bodied Chardonnay. Offering up notes of passion fruit, apricot, peach, and honeysuckle, it is full-bodied, rich and ostentatious." *Mr. Parker originally reviewed this wine prior to its release. At the time of his initial review, it was known as the "Clark Vineyard" Chardonnay. Today, that product is known as "Arroyo Seco" and is the same wine.

This seductive, creamy Chard wraps smoky, spicy, vanilla-laden oak flavors around the core of lush tropical fruit. There's lively acidity and a lot to like here. The finish shows a slight edge that may smooth out in another three or four months.

Taste this wine and you'll agree: It's big. even fat. A fragrant, buttery apple-floral bouquet opens into a banana, orange ad hay palate. The mouth-feel is creamy, round and lively -- it's full-flavored without being too weighty. Pear and butterscotch linger on the finish.