Whole berries. Whole bunches. Wild yeast. All French oak, only 20% new.
Deep flavour. But lively. This is terrific drinking. Rich and generous but honed and architectural. Plums, blackberries, saltbush and a swoosh of cedarwood. A touch of red-fruited brightness. Cracking wine.

2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - I'm still waiting to taste one that I don't have anything nice to say about. There are plenty of nice things to say about this one - classic varietal character, structured acidity, complexity of aroma and flavor, very approachable in its youth, and set to improve with age. I especially like the dusty minerality balanced against the fruit. This will seem like a real bargain fifteen years down the road -- if you can wait that long.

The 2013 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Syrah, made from Santa Barbara County grapes, offers lively blackberry fruit, accented by hints of smoke and lavender.

Brilliant red. High-pitched red berry and fresh rose scents are complemented by hints of white pepper and woodsmoke. Taut, sharply focused strawberry and bitter cherry flavors unfold slowly while retaining very good clarity. Smooths out nicely on the finish, which features silky tannins and a touch of blood orange.

Light, bright red. Spice-laced aromas of fresh strawberry and redcurrant, with a hint of white pepper emerging with air. Taut, linear and nervy on the palate, offering bitter cherry and red berry skin flavors and a touch of black tea. Closes with repeating spiciness, good energy and very soft tannins. This would be delicious with a light chill, à la Beaujolais.

Smooth, ripe and spicy with rich plum and toasty oak; blackberry, plum and cassis fruit; balanced and long.

This Russian River Pinot Noir is fresh and vibrant with supple tannins, which create a suave texture. Savory elements balance the fresh fruit notes. Not overdone, this Pinot Noir is an excellent choice for current drinking.

Smooth and juicy clean, round flavors of melon and citrus; fresh and balanced.

La Crema's venture into Oregon has yielded a meaty, earthy Pinot from the Willamette Valley. The 2013 exhibits nuances of fall leaves/forest floor, with fruit note of plum and black cherry. With a hint of bite on the finish, this is a Pinot to serve with food, which will give it roundness and length.

The late Jess Jackson, a San Francisco attorney turned vigneron, got himself on the map with his early-1980s chardonnays, but the Vintner's Reserve cabernet soon became a workhorse wine in its own right, too. All the Bordeaux varietals - grown in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino County hillside vineyards - are represented in the blend, adding layers of flavor and complexity and, again, the vintage was historic. Aging lasted eight months in a mix of French and American oak.

Smooth and lush with mellow black raspberry and juicy style; rich and balanced with depth, style and length.

Lots of black fruit and juicy acidity on the palate. Full-bodied and supple. Pair with grilled hamburgers.

A luscious, medium-bodied, satin-smooth Oregonian Pinot Noir with classic aromas of fleshy ripe cherry and berry and some mocha. Racy acidity on the palate from this cool climate. Pair with grilled salmon.

This is also the entry-level pinot, but it's a very good start; finding a good one under $20 is not easy. Both red and dark fruit on the nose, especially plum, along with rose petal and a savory sense of decayed leaves/forest floor. As you might expect, it's a lighter-style pinot that's forthright and accessible with flavors of plum, blackberry and black cherry, plus spice and smoke. Not necessarily insubstantial in the flavor department but light on its feet, which makes it surprisingly satisfying. Mr. Nagy wisely doesn't try to make it into something it's not.

Entirely drawn from the Nielson Vineyard, the oldest, continuously producing vineyard in the county; it's the one that started the grape rush way back in 1964. The nose is totally aromatic and beguiling with the fruit notes completely mixed with the savory elements. Both bright and dark cherry aromatics come to the fore along with plum and sandalwood. Rich and moderately bodied, but notable for its concentration coupled with engagingly complex levels of flavor. Dark plum leads the flavor parade, especially the essence of plum skins, followed by black cherry, boysenberry and olallieberry as well as a bit of baked cherry pie plus brown baking spices. Time in the bottle has allowed this wine to stretch out and lengthen on the palate, all the way to the lazy, meandering and lengthy finish. A beauty that's a big step up for not much in incremental dollars and one that could easily age another five years.

A step up, this more specific appellation pinot displays aromas of dark macerated Bing cherry, dark berry and damson plum, with white florals in the background as well as cinnamon and cardamom. Dark berry and cherry pastille, candied violets, sassafras and root beer dance on the palate. It builds to an apex of flavor on midpalate, then it slowly and gracefully slides to a satisfyingly smooth and silky finish.

It may be counterintuitive to discuss the aging process of an entry-level chardonnay, but then this is Santa Barbara County chardonnay we're talking about. At 4 years old, the nose has plenty of citrus, clover honey and brown baking spices. The palate features more citrus, pear and baked apple pie with the appropriate spices. A creamy streak is also woven through the fabric of the wine, something that comes with bottle age. It's still alive, kicking and delivering pleasure because of its good structure that holds it all together and the fine cut of acidity that has also mellowed over time, creating a softer and lusher palate sensation.

A muscular, tight-knit style, with firm, dense, well-proportioned notes of dark berry, crushed rock and graphite. Impressively lively acidity keeps the flavors jumping on the finish, ending with an earth-laced red berry core. Drink now through 2030.

This Zin is jammed with plush, easygoing blackberry and raspberry fruit flavors, that show accents of toasty spice and fresh sage.

A tropical chardonnay with mango and pineapple flavors up front. Aromas of honey, butter and a hint of vanilla. Nice length.

Very rich dark cherry notes with threads of earth and spices. Elegant with a refreshing mineral aspect on the finish.

The most common issue with inexpensive Pinot Noir is unbearable lightness. There is nothing thin or insipid about this earthy Pinot from Monterey, a perfect Pinot fix for tailgate parties and savory autumn dishes. It shows notes of forest floor and mushroom, with a hint of strawberry and raspberry on the palate.

Matanzas Creek was among the first of the California wineries that came to embrace Merlot and treat it as something other than a filler wine to soften a Cabernet-based blend. Matanzas was also among the best at Merlot and it still is. The 2012 is a thing of beauty, with complex notes of plum, raspberry and bing cherry, firm but integrated tannins, and hints of savory herbs and mocha. A stunning wine for under $30.

Appealing, with perfectly ripe peach and nectarine flavors, showing just a squirt of lemon juice and details of marmalade, herbal tea and spice.

Fleshy cherry and dark spice with a long, naughty finish on this California Pinot Noir. Medium-bodied and satin smooth like lingerie. A supple red wine with cherry-berry mouth-filling wonder and flavours. Just enough oak for hedonists. Layered yet not heavy. This pinot has been one of my favourites for years. Satin seduction in a glass. Pair with roasted turkey or chicken.