Lush and deep with elegance and balance; lovely cherry and spice with notes of earth and subtle sweet oak; complex and lovely.

Smooth and lush with velvety texture and tangy cherry and berry fruit; good acid structure and complexity with depth, balance and elegance.

Smooth and meaty with ripe cherry and juicy acidity; dense and rich with notes of earth and minerals; long and balanced.

The generous plum and raspberry notes are delicate and spicy, with an aftertaste of wilted rose, snappy berry and red candy.

Smooth and juicy with bright plum, raspberry and spice; tangy acidity and fresh flavors; long and intense with charm and depth. 36% Syrah, 34% Zinfandel, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% other varieties.

Medium ruby color; earthy berry and stewed cherry aromas; ripe, earthy stewed cherry flavors with good structure and balance; long finish. Earthy, Pinot with forward fruit.

Cardinale 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is an utterly silky composition of fruit from some of Napa's most important mountain appellations. Its soft aromas of rose and lavender greet the nose, while saturated flavors of boysenberry, black coffee, dark chocolate, dried cherry, strawberry, and mint coat the palate.

Good price for a wine this rich and balanced. It's honeyed, with orange and apricot fruit.

A simple, direct Pinot Noir, light and silky in the mouth, with jammy raspberry, cherry, date and brown sugar flavors.

A good, robust Bordeaux-style wine that’s smooth and tannic, with full-bodied blackberry, cherry and herb flavors. Ready to drink now.

Lots of Cabernet pleasure in this softly fruity Cabernet. It shows Alexander Valley’s easy approachability, with gentle, ripe flavors of blackberries, cherries, currants, herbs and sweet oak.

This is a very rich Riesling with Meyer lemon, buttered cinnamon toast and honeysuckle flavors, with just enough acidity for balance.

Some (unfortunately, not all) wineries and importers have been getting it, and the overwhelmingly positive response has surprised even them. Kendall-Jackson, for instance, has done a total makeover with the Kendall-Jackson 2011 Avant Chardonnay, California, a crisp, moderate alcohol, breezy, floral style of Chardonnay fashioned from neutral oak and stainless steel fermentations - a significant departure from the fat, buttery, tutti-frutti style long associated with the K-J brand.

Deep, smooth and juicy with rich blackberry and cassis; bright, tangy and nicely structured; seamless, intense and nicely balanced; long and stylish.

Velvety smooth with deep flavors of plum, cassis and spice; tangy, juicy and firmly structured with pleasant notes of oak; seamless, balanced and long.

The one-star, 90-point Edmeades Mendocino County 2010 is certain to find favor with fans of bold, big-bodied Zins that hold nothing back...

This Chardonnay carries a lot of oak, while underneath the fruit is charming, open and sufficiently edgy, with flavors of dried pineapple and lime. It has a structural grip that suggests more than oak is in play - something rocky and mineral, perhaps contributed by Cambria's extensive holdings of deep-rooted vines from the 1970's and '80's.

Smooth and fresh with bright cherry and raspberry; juicy, lively and tangy with lifted, vibrant flavors; long and quite charming.

Very nicely crafted, keenly focused red cherry fruit scents with a distinctive wild flower overlay and a kiss of rich oak set the stage for this full and supple effort, fairly open effort, and its ripe, fairly juicy flavors follow suit from front to back. It is invitingly friendly even now, and while it has the balance and depth to hold well in bottle, it is also quite easy to drink today. Still, for those with the will, it can age for few years yet.

As clean and fresh as it is irrepressibly fruity and a wine that is as accessible as accessible gets, Carmel Road’s outgoing Pinot may not convey a great sense of reserve, but it is downright delectable right now. Its easy gait and carefully scrubbed style in no way detract from its ample, well-defined varietal fruit, and if not at all fragile, it will not get a lot better, and it wants to be enjoyed while still in the full flush of youth. Good value.

This is a massively fruity Chardonnay. Few wines on earth offer this concentration of pineapples, oranges, mangoes, apricots and limes, not to mention honey and vanilla. Would be over the top except for bright acidity and a stony minerality.

A graceful, elegant style, with understated currant, smoke-laced oak, dried herb and tobacco leaf notes, ending with fine-grained tannins.

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.

This supple, graceful red shows medium-weight currant, mineral, black licorice and spice notes. Well-proportioned, ending clean and pure.

This is a very delicious and smooth pinot noir with great complexity and finish. Licorice and cola aromas with supple and sweet blackberry flavors.