Clean, fairly lively, young green-apple fruit is overlain by a quiet layer of toasty oak in its nose, and this mannerly middleweight follows with bright, carefully balanced flavors that emphasize the same youthful fruit. It ends with a crisp and lingering finish and is constructed to be a versatile companion with foods, and, if not demanding hasty drinking, it matches up well with meaty white fish and chicken right now.

A classy Chardonnay for sipping now. Dry and zesty in acidity, it has appealing tangerine, Meyer lemon, white flower, honey and mineral flavors.

Young and tight, with an earthy, leesy touch to the concentrated apple, pear and honeysuckle flavors. Still a bit raw and pithy, but give this a little time.

Bright yellow. Aromas of fresh pineapple, candied ginger and white pepper, plus an exotic suggestion of papaya. Dense, sappy and focused, with juicy acidity enlivening the tropical fruit and spice flavors. Energetic, chewy chardonnay, with good depth and a slight hard edge. Manages to be both ripe and restrained, finishing with good lift and cut.

Light gold. Powerful ripe aromas of white peach, underripe pineapple and melon lifted by white flowers and peppery spice. Then rich, sweet and supple on the palate, with juicy, deceptively open-knit pit fruit flavors perked up by a continuing spicy element. Firms up nicely on the back, finishing with a distinct juiciness. In a ripe style but energetic too.

Pale yellow. Spicy and buttery on the nose, with a light hint of brioche deepening fresh citrus and apple aromas. Clean and brisk, with bright green apple and salty mineral flavors. Finishes with rather taut, nicely focused citrus tones and a hint of toasty oak. This is refreshing enough to serve by itself.

Lemon drop, mint, flowers and hay on the nose. Lively apple and pineapple fruit framed by firm acidity. The strategy here is to make fruit-forward wines unsullied by oakiness. In fact, only about 60% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation, and it spent just six months in one-third new French oak. (A second bottle of the same chardonnay seemed distinctly tart and hard-edged.)

Aromas of lemon drop and earth. Sweet, fat and a bit exotic, with flavors of pear, mirabelle and spices. Rather fat, lush Chardonnay, but a tad blurry in the middle. Finishes with good spice character.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Jolie shows pretty blueberry and black cherry fruit, lush, light tannin, silky texture and a medium-bodied finish. It is made from Dijon clone 115, aged 15 months in 33% new French oak and should drink nicely for another 3-5 years.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Stormin’, from Dijon clone 667, offers fragrant, flowery notes intermixed with blueberry, raspberry and cherries. It is well-made, elegant, fresh, medium-bodied and certainly my favorite of all four of these Pinot Noirs.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Afleet Deep End comes from a block of vines planted with the Pommard clone. It exhibits a darker color than the Jolie along with a more robust, meaty personality with additional structure and tannin. While it does not possess the charm of the Jolie, it is fresh with attractive black cherry and earthy notes, medium body and a decent finish. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.

Firm and spicy, with complex cola, dark berry, cedar and crushed rock notes, this is slow to unfold and should gain with time in the cellar.

There's brisk, firm fruit behind this wine, but for now it presents oak, tough and wooden as a tobacco store Indian. It's tight, with a spiciness that lasts. The fruit should come forward with time.

The dark ruby/purple-colored wine exhibits a dense, austere, Bordeaux-like structure, rich, sweet cassis fruit intermixed with earth, licorice, and roasted herbs, medium body, and abundant tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2015.

Tightly wound, tannic and firm, with exotic cherry-berry flavors and tannins that clamp down on the finish.

Deep ruby. Aromas of blackberry, licorice and bitter chocolate. Sweet black fruit flavors are complicated by mocha, tobacco and pepper, with oakiness growing as the wine opened in the glass. I find this a bit overripe/underripe in character. Boasts good stuffing but finishes with slightly gritty tannins and a faint greenness.

Liberated, Monterey (California) Pinot Noir 2013 ($20): If you’re used to big, overwrought Pinot--the kind that throbs with too much sweet fruit and alcohol--this probably won’t be your glass of happiness. But if you share my preference for more delicate, subtly styled Pinot Noir you might want to try Liberated. Pale amethyst in color and redolent of strawberry aromas and flavors bolstered by an elusive hint of damp earth, this is a gentle, pleasing wine that is particularly good with uncomplicated foods such as pizza, pasta with tomato based sauce, and the like.

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

The 2010 Merlot bursts from the glass with juicy red cherries, flowers and sweet spices. A sleek, racy wine, the 2010 shows good length and definition but it is also distinctly sweet. There is good energy and complexity in the glass, but the wine's sweetness is at times a bit distracting.

Aromas of dark cherry, blueberry, licorice pastille, chocolate, menthol and smoke. Smooth and supple but a bit dry, with restrained flavors of red currant and spicecake showing some alcoholic warmth. Finishes with firm, slightly drying tannins.

The 2009 Merlot is a mid-weight wine laced with soft red fruit, spices, French oak, licorice and worn-in leather. The wine's modest structure suggests it is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2015.

Fans of austere Cabernet will find this alluring and trim from the get-go, with dry, savory herb, berry, graphite and dusty earth flavors. Clean and balanced. Drink now through 2027. 2,300 cases made.

Softer than the 2007, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is an elegant offering displaying notes of minerals, black currants, unsmoked cigar tobacco and herbs. This medium to full-bodied Cabernet is ideal for drinking over the next decade. Since being acquired by Jess Jackson, La Jota Vineyard Co. has been a work in progress. The very strong 2007s have been followed by very good 2008s, so, hopefully, this well-known estate, which made some phenomenal wines in the mid-nineties, is back on track.

This pink colored wine from La Crema opens with a faint wet stone and watermelon bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and easy to drink. The flavor profile is a mineral infused strawberry and watermelon with a hint of hint pepper. The finish is dry and refreshing. This wine would pair well with a spinach salad with goat cheese and walnuts. Very good.

Soft and delicate, with supple strawberry and cranberry flavors.