With more than four years of bottle age, this Cabernet is soft, elegant and lovely to drink now. It has subtle but complex black currant, mocha and cedar flavors, along with rich tannins that will pair well with steak.

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is a burly wine loaded with dark red fruit, mint, flowers, spices and licorice. It reveals good depth and concentration, along with a medium-bodied personality best suited for near and mid-term drinking. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

Here is a big wine that wears its ripeness surprisingly well, for while checking in at just over 15% alcohol, it is comparatively well-balanced and hides its heat behind lots of deep and well-defined blackcurrant fruit. It is at once both very full-bodied and slightly supple in feel, and the finishing toughness that comes from its young Cabernet tannins will ease and be made moot by four or five years of age.

Deep ruby. High-pitched aromas of red currant, cherry and rose, and pungent pepper and tobacco qualities gaining strength with aeration. Spicy red berry flavors gain flesh and herbal character with air, picking up a smoky quality and some dusty tannins on the back half. Finishes juicy, with berry skin and herbal nuances.

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma is the base cuvee of 7,500 cases. It is a delicious, modestly-priced Cabernet offering plenty of tobacco leaf, black currant, licorice, and spice box characteristics, loads of fruit, and subtle notes of white chocolate as well as wood. Consume it over the next 7-8 years.

Pale straw. Restrained, mineral-accented citrus aromas are fresh and focused. I'd have called this riesling, such is its elegance and understatement. Precise lemon and pear flavors show the slightest hint of rose. Finishes gently spicy and persistent.

Crisp and light, with plenty of floral overtones to the apple, pear and orange zest flavors, showing an appealing balance of acidity and intensity. Finishes with a spicy Asian pear note.

Smooth and lush with toasty oak and ripe pear; juicy and balanced with notes of spice, bright acidity and citrus.

Lemony and toasty, this approachable wine is rich and balanced, its texture soft and the flavors long-lasting, highlighted by a taste of lemon meringue.

The 2012 Chardonnay comes from their estate vineyards. It’s 100% barrel-fermented, goes through 100% malolactic fermentation, and was aged primarily in French oak, of which 16% is new. The emphasis is on the melony, lemon-custard, brioche and orange-blossom fruit of Chardonnay, with beautiful freshness, good acidity, and a medium-bodied, nicely concentrated mouthfeel. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.

The vineyard is in a warmer part of the northern valley, and yet it shows brisk acidity and the cool-climate apricot, lime and white peach flavors of a long hangtime region. It’s a fine Chardonnay, oaky and buttery, and provides pleasant drinking now.

This is clean and dry, with crisp acidity. It's leaner than many richer Chardonnays, but shows plenty of wealth and creaminess, and citrus and pear flavors. A nice partner to roasted chicken or broiled halibut.

Limpid gold. Pungent melon and citrus aromas are complemented by gentle spice and mineral nuances. A juicy midweight with good depth to its tangy nectarine and honeydew flavors. Finishes with good length and lingering citrus fruit notes. Drink this now for its energetic fruit.

The generic 2007 Chardonnay Sonoma, which goes through 100% barrel and malolactic fermentation, was still somewhat tight when I tasted it. However, it displays pure notes of citrus blossoms, white currants, brioche, green apples, and hints of clove as well as vanilla. It is a mid-weight, crisp, elegant white to drink over the next 4-5 years. This is another impressive group of wines from one of the most consistent winemakers and long-time veterans of the California wine scene, Dick Arrowood. He has always had the Midas touch with white varietals, yet he also continues to impress me with what he can do with red varietals.

Get Ready: The Super Italians Are Coming This shows a little bit too much bean paste on the nose, although there’s some pretty blackcurrants beneath. Medium-bodied and little lean on the palate with slightly hard tannins, but some good fruit comes through.

Wine for the cellar The blend in 2012 is 48/27/22/3 Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot. The nose is a peculiar mix of floral/meaty notes with bits of black fruit and coffee aromas. The attack is similar with resiny, licorice, black fruit and bitter espresso notes. This needs another three to five years to settle down. Best with mushroom or meaty pasta dishes. 88 points.

The vanilla aroma of this merlot is louder than the blueberry character, so you have to like that to go for it. Modest depth and length, but rather appealing balance. Drink now.

Earthy, foresty berry and cassis aromas are in the lead. Hard tannins and a shock of acidity make for a dry, cratered mouthfeel. Heavily toasted black-plum and cherry flavors end quickly, with a hint of bitter chocolate.

Chunky rubbery aromas of black plum form the first act. This feels big and wide, with grabby tannins. Flavors of toast, burnt oak, licorice and blackberry finish woody and with scratchy tannins.

Matured in used French barriques, this nevertheless shows touches of toast and cedar alongside tart, fruit notes of cranberry and raspberry. It’s full bodied and richly tannic, with crisp acids that accentuate the tannins on the finish.

A big burly, concentrated Grenache, Yangarra's High Sands bottling seems capable of evolving nicely over the next 3-5 years, although it is supple enough to drink now. Black cherry preserves gain structure on the finish in the form of finely dusty tannins.

Ripe and velvety, this plush-textured red has a leafy edge to its blackberry and licorice flavors, finishing strong. Drink now through 2013.

A light and tangy merlot that is focused and consistent from start to finish. Fresh nose of red berries and cedar with some floral notes in support. Taut and crisp with red berries spread out on a medium bodied frame. Not overpowering but tasty.

Pleasantly bitter and tarry. in Australian Shiraz. Juicy, full-bodied and layered. Drink with hamburgers or steak. Finishes with tart blackberries, pepper and spice. The McLaren Vale region in Australia is known for top-notch Shiraz like this one. Pair with hamburgers.