Aromas of cranberries, strawberries, and pomegranate emerge. With tart acidity, a floral character and decent structure, it is best drunk over the next 3-4 years.

Dark and ripe, with juicy black cherry and blackberry flavors that are smooth and polished, picking up a touch of anise, earth and spice on the finish. Drink now through 2007.

Revealing more forest floor, herb, earth, and sweet cherry qualities

The 2001 Pinot Noir Estate Carneros exhibits more underbrush, forest floor and cinnamon characteristics along with straightforward cherry and strawberry fruit. This medium-bodied Pinot is meant for immediate consumption.

The attractively priced 2001 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley is an elegant, dark ruby-colored Pinot offering a sweet perfume of herb-tinged black cherries, strawberries, and a notion of cranberries. Enjoy this lush, medium-bodied 2001 over the next 1-2 years.

The limited production 2001 Pinot Noir Nine Barrels was dominated by oak. The fruit quality is very good, offering notes of black cherries, strawberries and pomegranate. The oak should become more subdued with time, but Pinot Noir loses its fruit quickly.

Delicate in style, with spicy cherry, raspberry and elegant earthy nuances. An excellent value.

Bright medium red, a bit pale at the rim. Redcurrant, licorice and fresh hers on the nose. Tightly wound and a bit muscular; less pliant and sweet than the other 2000 pinots under the La Crema label. Distinctly blacker flavours here: black cherry, bitter chocolate, uncured tobacco. Finishes with firm tannins.

Lastly, readers should check out the 1,400-case 2001 Syrah, a cool-climate offering revealing crisp underlying acidity as well as good sweet blackberry and black currant fruit. This medium bodied, superficial but tasty, easy going Syrah will drink well for 2-3 years.

.a berry-laden wine with good aromatics, a supple texture, medium body, and adequate acidity.

"Ripe, bright and lively, with grapey cherry, snappy raspberry and wild berry flavors. Finishes with lots of fruit, firm tannins and good length. Best now through 1998." (also appears in the June '98 issue)

There are 500 cases of the honeysuckle, jasmine, and citrus-scented and flavored 2001 Viognier. This light to medium-bodied, crisp, tangy white is dominated by its fruit.

Toasty oak and cinnamon aromas team up with lovely pear, apple, citrus and spice flavors. Fleshy-textured, with a moderate finish.

Complex, if on a small scale, with elegant, toasty oak wrapped around pear, fig and apple flavors that fan out nicely.

This leesy, spicy Chardonnay offers notes of ripe fruit,medium body, and a fine finish. Drink this well-made, Burgundian-styled 1999...

Intense, with rich and spicy pear, vanilla and earth notes, picking up touches of anise and cedary oak.

Bright yellow gold. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Ripe tropical nose follows throughout on the palate with a glycerous mouthfeel. Attractive.

Good. Ripe and fruity, with an elegant core of pear, honey, spice and apple flavors that linger on the finish.

Very good. Ripe and fruity, with an elegant core of pear, honey, spice and apple flavors that linger on the finish.

The 1994 Sonoma Chardonnay is a smoky, tropical fruit-scented wine with soft, creamy-textured fruit, modest complexity, and an attractive, soft mouth-feel. It should be drunk over the next 12-18 months.

The ripe, rich, concentrated pear and butterscotch flavors stand up to it, adding dimension and complexity. Finishes with a combination of ripe fruit and vanilla-laced oak flavors. Drink now through 1996.

Full-throttle, toasty, buttery, honeyed, fruity Chardonnay with lovely purity and overall balance. Full-bodied.

Light gold color. On the nose, I get apricots, lemon curd, honeycomb, toasted oak, whipped butter. Creamy texture but refreshing acidity makes for a rich wine but it stays fresh. Bruised apple and apricot mix with whipped honey, cinnamon, nougat and floral perfume. Quite delicious for this style and price range. 87 points.

Light yellow color. Aromas of yellow pear, peaches and apples, mixed with notes of yellow flowers, honeycomb, white tea, whipped butter. Creamy and bold texture on the palate with medium acidity, and juicy fruits (bruised pear, baked apple) cinnamon notes, toasted almond, with white and yellow flowers and whipped butter. Rich and stylistically forward but well made. Aged eight months in 1/3 new French oak. 87 points.

The 2015 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is scented of apricots, guava and pineapple with touches of cedar, lightly browned toast and almonds. It delivers a good core of stone fruit and tropical flavors in the mouth with a lively backbone and appealing savory finish.