It’s young and will just get better in the bottle, but it’s drinking well right now. Aromas of cherry intermingled with spices and notes of cedar invite further exploration. In the mouth, flavors of cherry, plum and a bit of tobacco are enlivened by Sangiovese’s reliable mouthwatering acidity. The wine finishes with chalky tannins. Winemaker Lawrence Cronin’s New World winemaking experience in California, Australia, New Zealand and Chile shows in the supple fruitiness of the wine, but his Sicilian roots bring restraint as well as a lean structure and a delightful savory character.

A tropical chardonnay with a rich texture. Floral, with notes of pineapple, vanilla and spice. Lingering finish. A steal for the price.

A tasty blend with layered flavors. Notes of pomegranate, bittersweet chocolate and coffee. Balanced. Nice length.

This wine hails from Jess Jackson’s original vineyard. Zinfandel likes the cool spring and short blast of summer heat followed by early fall. It gives structure to the wine. The 2011 vintage was a tough one for California — and they don’t have many of these. Early rains and cold temps gave winemakers fits. This Zin seems to have escaped unscathed. Fruit is bold and expressive, tannins are smooth, acidity gives the package structure. Think raspberry, blackberry, solid tannins and clove. It has 14 percent Petite Sirah added, which makes it even more serious with a much deeper color and black peppery notes.

Ahh, Monterey County - located at the northernmost tip of California's Central Coast, this is one of the state's undervalued wine country gems. The cool climate, the coastal breezes and the critical fog all contribute to the production of world-class Pinot Noir. La Crema sourced fruit from throughout the county to develop this soft and rich Pinot. From the upfront aromas of flowers and red fruit to the medium-bodied flavors of plum, cassis, mineral and earthy spice, this is like having a bit of that picturesque coast in your glass.

But I especially appreciate discretion in the California style, when bells and whistles are less horn blasts, more, well, toots. See that in the pretty 2011 La Crema from Monterey ($20).

Although on the earthy side, there's plenty of forward red fruit plus a dollop of vanilla that comes from the oak it's aged in. There's not a lot of nuance here, but it's very well made considering the quantities that are delivered to market.

We will again be looking at new Pinot Noir's in next month's issue, but a few favorite star favorites priced below $30.00 deserve repeated mention. ...and the very precise Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve 2010 comes with extra virtue of being easy to find.

Deep ruby-red. Vibrant nose offers cassis, blackberry, licorice, minerals, tobacco leaf and violet. Rich, tactile and deep, offering outstanding energy for the vintage. Boasts a rare combination of explosive fruit intensity and elegance. Builds and echoes dramatically on the vibrant, nuanced finish, which saturates the palate with dark fruits and minerals. This shut down in the glass but my recorked bottle showed uncanny freshness after three days in the refrigerator.

Bright, full ruby. Complex, vibrant aromas of cassis, cherry pit, licorice and graphite, with a floral topnote building as the wine opens in the glass. Dense, pliant and suave, with a compellingly layered, fine-grained texture to the dark berry, licorice and mineral flavors. A wine of major dimension but today the firm, noble tannins clamp down on the fruit. I'd love to see this again in six or seven years--in a flight of top 2009 Medoc wines.

Bright red-ruby. Sweet aromas of black raspberry, bitter chocolate, violet and smoke. Large-scaled, velvety and deep, with outstanding intensity and sweetness to its dark berry, violet and mineral flavors. Boasts a compelling combination of suavity of texture and sheer energy. Extremely long on the aftertaste, with noble tannins barely noticeable today.

Full bright yellow. Ripe, deep aromas of lemon peel, tangerine, beeswax, crushed rock and dusty herbs, with hints of honey and tropical fruits. Large-scaled, rich and tactile, with nearly viscous flavors of lemon, white peach and butterscotch. Really compelling, ripe, vibrant fruit here, and wonderfully broad and dry. Very complex and sexy wine, a brilliant rendition of this outstanding chardonnay vineyard.

Pale gold, with a green hue. Potent scents of pit fruit nectar, seaweed, anise and smoky minerals, with sexy floral and mace notes adding complexity. Stains the palate with intense nectarine and pear flavors that are braced by a strong mineral quality. There's an intensity here that's really impressive. Refuses to let go on the finish, which strongly echoes the anise and floral notes.

Bright yellow. Pineapple, medicinal herbs and crushed rock on the nose. Very dense and tactile but less immediately fruity than the Upper Barn. Pineapple and grapefruit flavors are accompanied by strong saline and rocky elements. In a very dry style but broad, rich and long. The hardest of these chardonnays to taste today but a wine with considerable potential.

Bright ruby-red. High-toned, sexy aromas of black cherry, blueberry, licorice, graphite and sweet oak. Plush, sweet and pliant, with a wonderfully polished texture to the intense flavors of brambly dark berry, coffee and licorice. Finishes lush and very long, with building, fine-grained tannins and considerable elegance. This will be even better for five or six years in the cellar.

Opaque ruby. Heady aromas of red fruit liqueur, potpourri, cigar box and candied licorice, with subtle tobacco and Indian spice nuances in the background. Sappy, high-pitched and sharply delineated, showing a seductively sweet quality to its red fruit, mineral and floral pastille flavors. Finishes very long and broad, with silky tannins and a lingering floral quality.

Good ruby-red. Cassis, graphite and dried sage on the nose. Concentrated, rocky and deep, with complex flavors of blueberry, coffee and sweet tobacco. Excellent fruit and texture here, and ripely tannic and impressively long on the finish.

Bright yellow. Highly nuanced nose combines lemon custard, smoked meat, minerals and hazelnut complicated by a sulfidey quality. Plush but very dry, with a lightly saline quality adding interest to the perfumed pineapple and mineral flavors. Finishes stony, dry and long. This is remarkably Burgundian for a California chardonnay in its price range. A worthy successor to the outstanding 2010 bottling.

Light, bright red. High-pitched aromas of strawberry, blood orange and fresh rose. Spicy and precise, with an intriguing litheness and very good energy to its tangy red fruit, cola and floral pastille flavors. Shows a vibrant mineral quality on the finish, which clings with excellent tenacity and appealing sweetness. This wine is all about finesse.

Vivid red. Sexy raspberry and Asian spices on the highly perfumed nose, with notes of fresh rose, minerals and incense adding complexity. Sweet, sappy and expansive, offering penetrating red and dark berry flavors and a velvety texture. Impressively energetic and precise, with seductively sweet notes of candied red fruits and rose pastille on the seamless finish. 40% new oak here.

Full ruby-red. Aromas of cassis, licorice and fresh herbs, complemented by notes of espresso and roasted earth. Sweet, plush and deep, with a distinct mineral character adding class and grip to the creme de cassis, black cherry and licorice flavors. For all its medicinal reserve and structure, this very long wine boasts a captivating creaminess of texture.

Good bright red-ruby. Highly aromatic nose combines cassis, black pepper and brown spices. Richer and more horizontal than the Bosche, with bright acidity framing and lifting the somewhat cool flavors of dark berries and clove. This juicy, firmly structured wine finishes with sweet tannins and very good breadth but will need at least four or five years of bottle aging to express itself. Winemaker Ted Edwards describes this rather muscular wine as Bosche's big brother. Potentially the best Freemark Abbey wine in years.

Deep ruby. Cherry-cola and boysenberry aromas are complicated by exotic notes of sandalwood, potpourri and star anise. Dense and creamy in texture, with surprising lift and clarity to its ripe dark fruit and floral pastille flavors. Notes of Asian spices and mocha come up with air and carry through a long, smoky finish, which shows just a hint of tannins. I guessed that there was some whole cluster work going on here but I was wrong.

Opaque ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet displays scents of red fruit preserves, incense and cola, with a smoky topnote that gains strength with air. Deeply pitched but lively on the palate, with a smooth interplay of ripeness and vivacity to its raspberry and bitter cherry flavors. The smokiness comes back on the long, focused finish.

Deep ruby. Potent, smoke-accented aromas of black raspberry and boysenberry, with a sexy floral nuance emerging with air. Rich but lively, offering vibrant dark berry flavors and exotic Asian spice and floral pastille flourishes. Closes on a chewy note, with impressive clarity and spicy persistence.