Another of the new Siduri Pinots that afford remarkable value, this Sonoma County offering is a well-crafted wine that leans to firmness with the accent on bright and vital young fruit. It is, in fact, still on the firm side and should gradually round out over the next couple of years, but it is far from tight-fisted, and its lively, sustained flavors of pert, juicy red cherries make it a fine foil for lighter pork recipes in the near term.

If not as forthright in fruit as many of its cellarmates from Siduri, this well-structured youngster shows a good sense of reserve, and it impresses as a Pinot still in waiting. It is moderately full- bodied and slightly fleshy in feel with acidity and a slight spot of heat lending a wrinkle of back-palate coarseness, but, even if nascent, its fruity parts stay in sight and should come more to the fore over the next several years.

Siduri’s single-site offerings from the Santa Lucia Highlands offer a real study in contrasts, and, while all are fairly ripe, the one from Garys’ Vineyard is stocky and swarthy, the Pisoni is supple and structured and this one is rounded and focused on juicy young fruit. It is the most straightforward of the three with an overlay of vanilla to its themes of sweet cherries, and it gets our vote as the one to drink first.

Presents Pinot in a savory, herb-driven style, with dry, loamy tannins and toned-down berry flavors. Successful overall, giving this a distinctive personality and subtle flavor nuances throughout.

Nicely composed from the outset, this medium -depth Pinot Noir delivers keenly focused red cherry fruit aromas kissed by a dollop of crème brûlée oak richness and follows up on the palate with a somewhat open and accessible wine. Not ever heavy, but on the soft, viscous side, the wine asks little by way of cellaring and is ready to enjoy in the here and now. Good Value

Dense, fairly backward and clearly governed by ripeness, this one is more about richness than defined fruit. It sacrifices beauty for brawn and is waylaid by palpable heat at the finish, yet in spite of its wholesale lack of grace and refinement, it is a Pinot Noir whose impressions of plenty are sure to find favor with fans of extract and size.

Mildly brushy in scent as Pinot Noir sometimes can be and drawn along slightly lighter, less obvious ripe lines, the Bucher Vineyard bottling is a firmly balanced, mid-sized version that is a bit staid in its expression of fruit. It intimates dryness without drying out and is quietly persistent at the finish, and, if always a bit modest when it comes to richness, it still earns recommendation for its teasing complexity.

Light and sleek, with pretty raspberry and apricot flavors on a polished frame, lingering gently.

Highly distinctive, deliciously rich and focused, with flavors of anise, blackberry, cedar, pencil lead, graphite and black licorice. Deftly balanced, this maintains a tight focus and emphasis on pure flavors.

Aromas and flavors of sweet black cherries and spice, smooth, long finish.

It's so terrific when wood is so well integrated into a red wine that, though its aroma is upfront on first snort, it's also become part of the wine so that it doesn't call unneeded attention to itself and distract from what else is there: buckets of bright red fruit (raspberry and cherry especially), with subtle notes of brown cooking spice and black pepper. America's new zinfandels are killer delicious, like this one. Gimme deep-dish or anything with tomatoes in it or on it.

This wine offers oodles of plums and berries in the nose. There is more berry flavor in the mouth with a bit of spice. A very nice beefy wine that is great for fall and wintertime drinking.

This widely available chardonnay shows the magic of a cooler growing region. Apple and pear nose and flavors with a nice deft touch of creamy oak frame this beautifully proportioned and balanced wine.

A rich and full-bodied Californian chardonnay with lovely layers of ripe peaches and pears, some lemon and lots of vanilla-butter goodness with the oak. This terrific white wine has a satisfyingly long finish and will pair well with roast chicken. The grapes for this Chardonnay come from cool climate vineyards in Sonoma. Each vineyard parcel of grapes is matured separately in French oak barrels, and undergoes a full malolactic fermentation.

This Santa Maria Valley producer has been making good pinot noir for decades and the Julia's Vineyard version has been a consistent winner. It features earthy character with generous black cherry fruit and a dash of spice.

This bright yellow colored Viognier from Australia is very good. It opens with a mild apricot and candied pear bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced, voluptuous and juicy. The flavor profile is a tasty apricot with notes of pear. I also detected hints of honey and pineapple as well. The finish is dry and its flavors last for quite some time after the wine is gone. This Viogner is pretty rich. I would just drink it with friends.

Medium-deep ruby color; tight and reserved aromas of oak and dark cherry; big, deep, rich dark cherry flavors with smoky and savory spice notes; some tannin; good structure and balance; long finish. Deep, complex Pinot that needs time in the bottle and glass to develop. Great with steak or grilled meats. Adam Lee really understands this vineyard and I think might produce the best of the Garys’ bottlings I see. This is a terrific wine worth your patience. Originally published in issue #99

Medium-deep ruby color; deep, complex plum aromas with earthy, smoky notes; rich, deep , layered plum flavors with smoky, earthy notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Complex, layered Pinot with amazing depth. Drinks well now, but will also age really well. A great bottling from an iconic Santa Rita Hills vineyard. Originally published in issue #94

Medium-deep ruby color; deep, earthy, herbal aromas; deep, stewed cherry flavors with earthy notes, some oak and tannin; good structure and balance; long finish. Deep, rich Pinot with lots of earthy notes.

Medium ruby color; forward, spicy cherry aromas with some earthy notes; rich, ripe bright cherry flavors with some spice and oak notes; silky texture; good structure and balance; long finish. Bright, forward Pinot with a lot of flavor. Originally published in issue #99

Medium ruby color; deep, herbal cherry aromas; forward, cherry flavors with herbal and forest floor notes; silky texture; good structure and balance; long finish. Earthy, herbal Pinot with nice texture. Originally published in issue #99

Barrymore? Think actress and wine enthusiast Drew Barrymore who partnered with Carmel Road Winery for this dry, minerally, fruit-packed Grigio. It’s got that Asian pear, honeydew, white peach fruit character infused with minerality and braced with firm acidity. A great wine to pour with a Caprese salad or homemade gnocchi in a light tomato sauce. The label depicts the crest of Drew’s grandfather — actor John Barrymore.

This cab is well-crafted. Aromas and flavors of cassis, mocha and nutmeg. Great structure. Balanced. A smart buy.

What a buy: An intense, earthy, robust-flavored Cab braced with Petite Sirah, for added richness and depth, and Merlot to round out the palate. Tannins are supple, texture is creamy, and alcohol at 13.7 percent — is enough to give this package a nice kick. Flavor profile: dark berries, cherries, dark chocolate, black licorice, vanilla, sweet toastiness.

Crisp, with aromas and flavors of ripe peaches, cinnamon and minerals.