This is a good value for such a creamy, well-made wine, bright in citrus and tropical fruit. Textured and linear, with a clear beginning and end, it’ll go nicely with oysters or goat cheese. The 7% Sémillon blended in adds floral highlights.

Lemon zest and chives with great freshness in this half bottle size. Great for nights when you're on your own, or when you want to start with a glass of wine with salad then move on to a different wine with the main dish.

Fresh and juicy with minerals, tangy citrus and bright acidity; fresh, clean and balanced with good length and style.

Fresh, clean and alive with citrus and tropical fruit; juicy, ripe and balanced with lots of charm and depth.

This medium-bodied wine has a light floral aroma, lots of fresh apple and peach flavors and accents of vanilla and butter. A dose of good, fresh fruit acidity livens up the mouthfeel and seems to brighten the flavors.

This dark yellow Chardonnay from California opens with a pleasant pear bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and a little juicy. The flavor profile is a mild mineral and Anjou pear blend with notes of oak. I also detected hints of pineapple and apple pie spice towards the end. The finish is dry and lingers nicely. This Chard is both affordable and friendly. It would pair well with Dijon-tarragon cream chicken.

Ethereal and light, this is an understated Chardonnay for the producer, who offers several variations on the grape this vintage, this one sourced from an Eastside Road estate vineyard. Beeswax, tropical papaya and pear are the highlights, with a finish dusted in vanilla.

This effusively fragrant, medium-bodied wine is compelling for its freshness, fruity complexity and subtle spicy, buttery accents. It feels lively and crisp on the palate while still carrying enough depth and richness.

Smooth and ripe with clean, mellow flavors of apple, pear and tropical fruit; balanced, and lush with vanilla oak and a long finish.

Fairly rich aromas of ripe apples, hints of honey and a dollop of sweet oak set this full-bodied wine off in a most positive and inviting direction, and its mid-depth flavors keep it very much on track. Its roundness and openness make it quite ready to serve today with the likes of pan-grilled chicken breasts napped with a light cream sauce, and its reasonable price makes it even better. Good Value.

Another project overseen by the Jackson Family's brilliant winemaker, Chris Carpenter, Mt. Brave has fashioned a straightforward, lush, rich 2012 Merlot offering notes of underbrush, mocha, black cherries and dark fruits. This 100% Merlot, aged in two-thirds new French oak, is soft, round, easygoing, and best drunk over the next 5-7 years.

Composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2011 Merlot exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, notes of white chocolate, espresso roast, black cherries, other berry fruit, a hint of tobacco leaf, and a rich, fleshy, supple, juicy personality. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.

Undeniably sturdy, austere and tannic, and as such, a red that requires patience and faith. The core currant, anise, loamy earth and cedary oak notes are unforgiving at this early age. Best from 2020 through 2032. 4,500 cases made

Long on sweet oak and colored by an atypical element of mint as well as the usual themes of pepper and spice, this robust and big-bodied youngster trades heavily on ripeness but comes up a winner by dint of its richness and depth. It is tough enough to dissuade early drinking even by fans of the style, but it will easily take four or five years of age.

Far superior to the 2000, revealing more perfume as well as abundant quantities of honeyed orange and melon fruit. There are 11,000 cases of this 87% Sauvignon Blanc and 13% Semillon blend.

Bright ruby-red. Aromas of red currant, bitter cherry, tobacco leaf, baking spices, smoke and nuts, plus a light herbaceousness. Sweet and moderately fleshy, with good concentration and spine. The spicy character carries through in the mouth. Juicy and firm on the back end.

Pale color. Leesy aromas of fig, honey, lemon, minerals and earth. Nicely delineated but slightly hard-edged lemon and grapefruit flavors. A somewhat un-giving sauvignon that could use another six months in the bottle.

Aromas of pit fruits, yellow plum and spicy oak. Sweet and lush in the middle, with good density and an attractive pliant texture. Then a bit hard on the back end.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Bennett Valley bursts from the glass with dark cherries, flowers, spices and new leather. A juicy, forward wine, the 2011 is best enjoyed over the next few years, as it doesn't appear to have the depth to hold beyond that. This is a commendable effort in a very difficult Pinot vintage in Anderson Valley. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2015.

Saturated red. Black raspberry and cherry on the nose, with complicating notes of black tea, rose and smoky minerals. Very fresh pinot with gripping, slightly dry dark berry and bitter cherry flavors and a sneaky note of cracked pepper. Finishes with good nervy cut and an echo of peppery spices.

Made from the coolish Bennett Valley region of Sonoma County, this Pinot is marked by acidity and some sharp, herbal flavors suggesting tobacco. Yet it has enough cherries, raspberries, red currants and cola to provide richness. Drink now.

Impressive for its array of ripe plum, currant, blackberry and wild berry flavors, it offers depth, richness, concentration and length. Cedary oak and fine grained tannins are well-proportioned. Drink now through 2006.

Medium ruby-red. Musky aromas of currant, licorice and herbs. Denser and more harmonious than the Sonoma County bottling, with good flavor intensity and restrained sweetness. But seems a bit overripe, with lightly vegetal, green pepper character as well as suggestions of cooked fruit throughout. Could use a bit more flavor definition.

A clear departure from the refined and fruity Merlots that were once issued from Matanzas Creek Winery, this highly ripened effort goes for maximum extract and richness from the outset, and its aromas and flavors are brimming with abundant oak, very ripe fruit and a complex streak of earthy spice. Plush on the palate with a fat, fleshy feel and plenty of weight, the wine ultimately bows to ripeness and ends with undisguised alcohol heating up its ragged finish.

Tomato skin and black cherry aromas and flavors are presented in a fuller-bodied, more powerful, tannic style. Hardly a profound Merlot, it will last for 7-8 years.