Saturated medium ruby. Aromas of bitter chocolate, espresso, loam and fresh herbs. Firm but on the dry side, lacking flesh and depth. A bit weedy, as Howell Mountain fruit can be in a less-ripe year. Finishes with firm, somewhat drying tannins.

An immense style that's firmly tannic, offering a mix of herbal and cedary flavors. Hints of coffee, leather and tar commingle with earthy currant and sage notes. Definitely needs time. Best from 2003 through 2008.

Deep, saturated purple-red hue. Brooding, intense red-fruit and mineral aromas show a firm oak accent. A structured entry leads to a full-bodied palate with a big tannic wallop.

This ripe, fleshy red offers plenty of blackberry and black cherry flavors backed up by sweet, toasty oak. It's round and soft, but has enough structure for food. Drink now. Second label of Vina Calina, 5,000 cases made.

Black cherry, chipped slate and an earthy nutmeg character show on the nose of this stylishly labeled bottling. Medium in weight, it offers energetic and tart cranberry-cherry flavors as well as a menthol element on the palate, which is tangy throughout and wipes up clean.

A whiff of smoke mingles with lemongrass and lime zest details on a crisp, medium body, revealing an appealing roasted pineapple note that lingers on the finish. Drink now.

Intensely varietal as far as its rugged tannins and sinewy feel on the palate go and long on tobacco-leaf herbacousness, this big and very gutsy wine claims a small measure of success by way of its compact, still-nascent black cherry fruit and its considerable complement of very rich oak. It is a dense, ageworthy Cabernet Franc for patient fans of the grape and it will not be ready for a least another five to ten years.

There are Rosés that steer to acidy firmness and others that are softer and rounder in tone, and this one joins the latter, yet, for all of its open and slightly juicy appeal, it does lapse into candied softness and is well-supported by integral acidity. While its scant bit of residual sugar and fruity insistence make it a winning wine for drinking without food, it is sufficiently balanced to do double duty as a tasty foil to any number of lighter poultry dishes. 1 star, good value.

Medium-light salmon color; medium-light, earthy, cherry fruit aroma with an early trace of sulfur; medium body; red fruit flavors that are relatively soft in the mouthfeel; slightly lingering aftertaste. 87 points.

Light yellow color. Nose shows white peaches, lemon curd, orange blossoms and whipped honey notes. Crisp acidity frames the palate nicely, while the wine sports a waxy, plump texture. Apricots, yellow apples, peach nectar, the fruit is backed up with white pepper and flowers. This shows a lot of depth for a California Pinot Gris at this price point. Lots of fun.

There’s a touch of fizz to the glass in this twist-top bottling, which shows light peach, yellow melon, sliced apple and orange-cake aromas. The flavors are subtle but the texture is decent with acidity and grip, allowing ripe pear and a touch of lime bitterness to arise slowly.

There's slight effervescence in the glass of this wine that offers tart green-apple skins and pear-cider notes on the nose. Yellow pear and sour apple skins also show on the palate, lifted with nuances of lemongrass.

Among the fuller and more substantial members of the varietal clan and a wine that speaks directly to ripe peaches with a wispy suggestion of sweet spice in tow, La Crema’s 2015 Pinot Gris is moderately full-bodied and somewhat rounded in feel with an extra bit of viscosity and sustained richness to its credit. It is less a simple quaffer and instead a wine that wants pairing with food, and it will handle meaty white fish, richer shellfish recipes and poultry with equal aplomb.

Brisk nectarine and just a touch of apple frame the nose, and warmer, expressive flavors of peach make for a perfect poolside beverage.

Clean and fairly energetic aromas of wild flowers with wisps of stems and fairly typical green and white peach notes are followed on the palate by somewhat rounded, easily accessible flavors that repeat the basic charms of the nose. A touch of bitterness crops up at the end, but no more than will be nicely tamped down by a good chill before serving.

Dark ruby, with ripe, rich, fleshy herb-scented cherry and berry flavors that offer depth and moderate complexity.

Intense, with cherry, currant, herbal and raspberry flavors underscored by toasty oak and lively structure. Drink now through 2004.

With complex aromas of blackberry, mushroom and beet, and an overlay of smoky oak, this wine tastes young, rich and sappy. It's quite dry--even tart at this young age--but with a core of berry fruit and enough dusty tannins to suggest short-term aging.

Like almost all good Pinots from this Sonoma region, this starts out with a typical Russian River nose of raspberries, with herbal touches of mint and grass. The overall profile is a bit soft and woody, especially early on, but then it airs out nicely, showing some jamminess, lots of vanilla from the copious oak, and full length in the finish.

Lean and a touch earthy, with spicy wild berry, black cherry, sage and cedar and dry tannins.

Bright pale cherry red with purple highlights. Medium-bodied. Moderately oaked. Mildly tannic. Bright tart cherry flavors have tobacco and spice accents. Lengthy astringent finish. Dry and some-what austere. Some complex chocolate notes.

Medium-bodied, showing a simple core of plum and cherry flavors and a slightly toasty oak finish.

11 Lip-Smacking California Pinot Noirs Offers a mix of loamy earth, dusty herb and savory dried red berry that's complex and lingering, with nice tannic grip.

Here, again La Crema has come up with a very clean and carefully made wine that offers a clear look at the lively, red cherry and strawberry fruit of Pinot Noir, and, if a touch lighter and not quite as filled-up as its cellarmate from the Sonoma Coast, it is an easy-drinking, well-balanced example whose varietal credentials are never in doubt. It, too, hits the mark for fine value, especially when found at a discount as it often is. 87 points. One star, good value